[House Report 112-738]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]


                                                 Union Calendar No. 540

112th Congress  }                                            {   Report
  2d Session    }        HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES            {  112-738
_______________________________________________________________________
 
               FOURTH SEMIANNUAL REPORT ON THE ACTIVITIES 

                                 of the

                   COMMITTEE ON HOUSE ADMINISTRATION

                                 of the

                        HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                               during the

                      ONE HUNDRED TWELFTH CONGRESS

                      together with minority views

                 [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]


 December 31, 2012.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on 
            the State of the Union and ordered to be printed

                         U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 
                              WASHINGTON : 2012 
29-006 



                         LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL

                              ----------                              

                          House of Representatives,
                         Committee on House Administration,
                                 Washington, DC, December 31, 2012.
Hon. Karen Haas,
Clerk of the House, The Capitol, Washington, DC.
    Dear Ms. Haas: Pursuant to Rule XI, clause 1, paragraph (d) 
of the Rules of the U.S. House of Representatives, I hereby 
transmit the Fourth Semiannual Report on the Activities of the 
Committee on House Administration. This report summarizes the 
activities of the Committee with respect to its legislative and 
oversight responsibilities in the 112th Congress from June 2012 
to December 2012.
            Sincerely,
                                         Daniel E. Lungren,
                                                          Chairman.



                                                 Union Calendar No. 540
112th Congress  }                                            {   Report
  2d Session    }        HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES            {  112-738
=======================================================================

 FOURTH SEMIANNUAL REPORT ON THE ACTIVITIES OF THE COMMITTEE ON HOUSE 
                ADMINISTRATION DURING THE 112TH CONGRESS

                                _______
                                

 December 31, 2012.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on 
            the State of the Union and ordered to be printed

                                _______
                                

   Mr. Daniel E. Lungren of California, from the Committee on House 
                Administration, submitted the following

                              R E P O R T

                             together with

                             MINORITY VIEWS

                              INTRODUCTION

    The Committee on House Administration (``Committee'') is 
charged with the oversight of federal elections and the day-to-
day operations of the House of Representatives. During the 
112th Congress, the Committee operated with two subcommittees: 
the Subcommittee on Elections, which examines issues related to 
elections and voting systems, and the Subcommittee on 
Oversight, which focuses on identifying and reducing wasteful 
spending within House operations and establishing best 
practices to help improve services to the House community.

         OVERSIGHT AND LEGISLATIVE ACTIVITIES OF THE COMMITTEE

Officers of the House

    One of the responsibilities of the Committee is to conduct 
oversight of the Officers of the House, whose organizations 
serve primary roles in legislative operations and the day-to-
day administrative and operational infrastructure necessary to 
support the Members and staff of the House.
            Clerk of the House
    The Office of the Clerk is charged with overseeing nine 
departments including the Office of Art and Archives, the 
Legislative Resource Center, and the Office of Official 
Reporters. The Clerk's primary responsibilities involve the 
legislative activities of the House. This includes managing the 
bills originating in the House as well as overseeing the voting 
system.
    With help from the Committee, House Leadership, and the 
Rules Committee, the Clerk has nearly completed phase two of 
the docs.house.gov project. This involved updating the posting 
standards of Committee documents in December. As a result of 
this phase, House committee documents will be displayed online 
in XML, an open, machine-readable format that improves 
transparency and access to data.
    The Clerk's Office also created a Bulk Data Task Force 
headed by the Deputy Clerk and House Appropriations staff, and 
comprised of bipartisan Leadership and Committee staff, 
administrative staff, and representatives of Legislative Branch 
support agencies. Staff from the Secretary of the Senate and 
Senate Sergeant-at-Arms participate in the task force as 
observers. The task force was created in response to inquiries 
from the Legislative Branch Subcommittee of the Appropriations 
Committee. The task force is working to increase the 
availability of bulk data and reduce duplication and expenses.
    Additionally, the Clerk developed a system to capture the 
financial disclosure requirements necessitated by enactment of 
S. 2038, the Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge Act or 
STOCK Act, on April 4, 2012. On September 30, 2012, after 
multiple staff and Member training sessions during the summer, 
the Member and Candidate financial disclosure forms were made 
available online. Due to the enactment of H.R. 6634, to change 
the effective date for the Internet publication of certain 
financial disclosure forms, on December 7, 2012, the employee 
forms will be posted on April 15, 2013.
    Finally, the Committee worked with the Historian's Office 
on the development of an updated version of the ``Hispanic 
Americans in Congress'' publication. In addition to providing 
book edits and recommendations, on July 17, 2012, Chairman 
Lungren and Representative Jose Serrano introduced H. Con. Res. 
132, which provides funding to ensure the printing and 
production of the revised and updated version of the 
publication. On July 19, 2012, the concurrent resolution was 
ordered reported favorably by the Committee at a meeting. On 
September 10, 2012, the House approved the resolution under 
suspension of the rules.
            Sergeant-at-Arms and the United States Capitol Police
    The House Sergeant-at-Arms (``HSAA'') is responsible for 
maintaining the security of the House side of the Capitol 
Grounds and for ensuring the security of Members of Congress, 
staff, and visitors.
    Oversight of the House Sergeant-at-Arms and the United 
States Capitol Police (``USCP'') continued to be a priority for 
the Committee. In order to receive constant updates regarding 
security in both Washington and in Member districts, the 
Committee meets with both the HSAA and the USCP on a bi-weekly 
basis.
    During the period of this report, the Capitol Police Board 
searched for a well qualified replacement for the retired USCP 
Chief. On December 17, 2012, Kim C. Dine, the former Chief of 
Police of the Frederick, Maryland Police Department, was sworn 
in as the Chief of the U.S. Capitol Police.
    The HSAA Office of Emergency Management (``OEM'') section 
continues its outreach and training to Member offices both in 
Washington and in the districts, building on the success of the 
Law Enforcement Coordinator program. It also made great 
progress in improving the emergency response messaging process.
            Chief Administrative Officer
    The Office of the Chief Administrative Officer (``CAO'') 
supports the budget, finance, procurement, facilities, and 
information technology needs of the House and all of its 
components. The Committee is charged with overseeing the CAO 
and its support staff.
    Over the past six months, the CAO advanced several 
initiatives that resulted in House-wide savings of 
approximately $800,000 per year. Of particular note were the 
contract awards to technology support contractors, IT hardware 
maintenance providers, and systems administration service 
providers.
    Additionally, the Committee consulted with the CAO 
regarding the 113th Congressional Transition. The Committee 
approved several transition policies on equipment, furniture, 
and technology, as well as worked on a comprehensive transition 
website that will ensure a smooth transition for departing 
Members, returning Members and new Members.
            House Information Resources
    Throughout the second half of 2012, the Committee worked 
with House Information Resources (``HIR'') to improve 
technological services for the House community. These services 
include the Active Role Server, Microsoft Exchange 2010, the 
future of the House Data Center, and the House Digital Mail 
program.
    HIR has enabled all offices to participate in the Active 
Role Server (``ARS''), a tool to administer network accounts 
and House email. The Committee adopted a transition policy for 
the 113th Congress to automatically enroll all freshman Members 
in ARS. House Information Resources also deployed Microsoft 
Exchange 2010 to CAO offices in September. This release 
provides better support for mobile clients and increased user 
features for offices that have upgraded to Microsoft Office 
2010. Exchange 2010 will be rolled out to existing offices in 
early 2013.
    Additional offices have been added to the current House 
Digital Mail program. Fifty-three offices now participate in 
the program. The Committee approved a transition policy on 
October 2, 2012 that authorizes the automatic enrollment of 
freshman Members in the House Digital Mail Program beginning 
with the 113th Congress.

Inspector General

    House Rule II creates the Office of the Inspector General 
(``OIG'') and charges the Committee with oversight of the 
office. During the period of this report, the OIG, with the 
approval of the Committee, produced four management advisory 
reports and three audit reports. Additionally, the Committee 
reviewed and approved the FY 2013 audit and advisory plan.
    The Committee also worked with the OIG to create awareness 
in the House community of several illegal schemes involving 
newspaper subscriptions and renewals. These notifications 
prevented payments to unscrupulous vendors.

The Architect of the Capitol

    The Architect of the Capitol (``AOC'') is responsible for 
the maintenance, operation, development, and preservation of 
the entire Capitol Complex, which includes 17.4 million square 
feet of buildings and more than 460 acres of land. Certain 
decisions regarding management of the House Office buildings 
and the House side of the Capitol reside with the House Office 
Building Commission, but the Committee supervises and oversees 
AOC implementation of all its programs.
    The Committee met regularly with the House Office Building 
Superintendent, his senior staff, and other AOC management and 
staff during the period of this report. The Committee continued 
to monitor AOC operations, including the American Veterans 
Disabled for Life Memorial, the AOC's Office of Security 
Programs, and the Cannon Building renewal and FOB-8 
renovations. The Committee continued to assess and ensure that 
full cooperation and communication occurs between the Office of 
Security Programs and the USCP, given their overlapping 
prerogatives.

Office of Congressional Accessibility Services

    The Office of Congressional Accessibility Services 
(``OCAS'') was created by the Capitol Visitor Center Act of 
2008. OCAS operates under the direction of the Congressional 
Accessibility Services Board and is charged with providing and 
coordinating accessibility services for individuals with 
disabilities including Members of Congress, officers and 
employees of the House and Senate, and visitors in the U.S. 
Capitol Complex. The Committee on House Administration is 
charged with overseeing the agency and meets with OCAS 
quarterly.
    During the last six months, the Committee met with the OCAS 
Director on a variety of accessibility issues including New 
Member Orientation and planning for the 2013 Presidential 
Inauguration ceremony. There are significant improvements for 
the Inauguration including: an increase in the number of 
directional aides, larger handicapped accessible platforms, an 
increase in the number of shuttles between the Metro and the 
event site, and a mobile application to view the closed 
captioning of the event on a mobile device.
    The Office of Congressional Accessibility also continued to 
work with the Committee, the Capitol Visitor Center, the House, 
and the Senate to ensure accessibility for all individuals 
visiting or working on the Capitol campus. In 2013, the office 
will release an audio-descriptive tour for Exhibition Hall, add 
a set of wheelchairs at each accessible entrance to the Senate 
and House buildings, and disseminate updated maps, brochures 
and training materials to Member offices.

Library of Congress and Joint Committee on the Library

    The Committee's Subcommittee on Oversight conducted an 
oversight hearing on the Library of Congress on July 19, 2012, 
entitled ``Library of Congress: 2012 Inspector General Report 
on Library-Wide Acquisitions''. Deputy Librarian Robert Dizard 
Jr., Chief of Support Operations Lucy Suddreth, and Inspector 
General Karl Schornagel testified before the Committee's 
Subcommittee on Oversight. Committee staff held a further 
oversight meeting with Deputy Librarian Dizard regarding the 
Library's acquisitions function on October 3, 2012. The 
Committee will continue to monitor the status of the Library's 
Contracting Office and acquisitions function.
    Oversight staff continued to meet with Library personnel 
and monitor Library initiatives related to Congress.gov (the 
beta of which was released September 19, 2012), the National 
Book Festival (again held for a two-day span in late 
September), the Residential Scholars Center (the Librarian 
decided to discontinue the planned renovations), the Library's 
storage needs, and issues related to its seven respective 
service units.
    The Joint Committee on the Library (``JCL'') has no 
legislative authority but is tasked with oversight of the 
Library of Congress and the Congressional Research Service, 
management of the National Statuary Hall Collection, and the 
United States Botanic Garden. To this end, the JCL approved 
adjusting the Garden's hours to accommodate the Committee's New 
Member Orientation program and the replacement of certain CVC 
tunnel artwork.
    The Committee continued to monitor the implementation 
status of H.R. 6336 (enacted as Public Law 112-174). The law 
requires the Joint Committee on the Library to accept from the 
District of Columbia the donation of a statue depicting 
Frederick Douglass and to place the statue in a suitable 
permanent location in Emancipation Hall of the U.S. Capitol. 
The statue is currently in a D.C. courthouse.

Fine Arts Board

    The House Fine Arts Board is comprised of five House 
members of the Joint Committee on the Library. It has authority 
over works of fine art and historical objects that are the 
property of Congress and are for display in the House wing of 
the Capitol or in the House Office Buildings. The Board also 
accepts gifts of fine art and historical objects on behalf of 
the House, and the Clerk maintains the collection.
    During the period of this report, the Fine Arts Board 
received a request from Representative John Spratt to organize 
a portrait fund committee. Further, the Board received the 
deeds and portraits of Representative Ike Skelton, 
Representative Ralph Hall, and Representative John Mica. These 
portraits will be added to the House collection.

Joint Committee on Printing and U.S. Government Printing Office

    The Government Printing Office (``GPO'') produces, 
preserves and distributes the official publications and 
information products of the Congress and Federal government. By 
House rule, the Committee on House Administration has oversight 
of and legislative jurisdiction over the Government Printing 
Office.
    The Committee continued to eliminate unnecessary printing 
by encouraging Member and House committee offices to opt out of 
receiving printed versions of House publications. As a result, 
GPO has seen increased usage of its applications for tablet and 
mobile devices and decreased usage of paper copies. The 
Committee also worked with GPO to publish a new version of the 
Pocket Constitution as authorized by H. Con. Res. 90, which 
passed the Senate on July 26, 2012. For New Member Orientation, 
the Government Printing Office assisted with all of the 
Committee's publishing requirements.
    The Joint Committee on Printing (``JCP'') requested the 
Government Accountability Office (``GAO'') audit the total 
number of internal printing plants, the total amount of in-
plant work produced, and the print procurement practices of all 
federal departments and agencies.
    Each year the JCP reviews and approves GPO's capital 
spending plan for the coming fiscal year. The FY 2013 
submission aligns with GPO's 2013-2017 Strategic Plan and 
indicates GPO's continued resolve to modernize print production 
capabilities, invest in the infrastructure and development of 
its Federal Digital System, and create an integrated web 
platform for the Federal Depository Library Program. The Joint 
Committee on Printing approved the request.

Smithsonian

    The Committee serves as the primary legislative and 
oversight body for the Smithsonian Institution, a federal trust 
instrumentality composed of 19 museums, numerous research 
centers, and the National Zoo. Governance of the Smithsonian is 
vested in a 17-member Board of Regents, consisting of the Chief 
Justice of the Supreme Court, the Vice President, six Members 
of Congress, and nine citizen regents nominated by the Board 
and approved by joint resolution of Congress.
    At its June 25, 2012, meeting, the Board of Regents 
approved the nomination of Ambassador Barbara Barrett to serve 
as a citizen regent. H.J. Res. 120, which authorizes the 
appointment of Ambassador Barrett for a six-year term on the 
Board of Regents, was introduced on September 13, 2012, by 
Representative Sam Johnson and cosponsored by Representatives 
Steven C. LaTourette and Xavier Becerra. S.J. Res. 49, the 
Senate companion of H.J. Res. 120, passed the House on 
Thursday, December 20, 2012.
    The Committee conducted oversight of the Institution 
through ongoing discussions, meetings and briefings with 
Smithsonian staff and the Inspector General on various topics 
including agendas for the Board of Regent meetings, the annual 
audit plan, the status of facilities renovations and budgetary 
matters.

Elections

    The Constitution grants the House final authority to judge 
the election of its members. To give the House firsthand 
information with which to review a contested election, the 
Committee is authorized to send observers to close House races 
to collect data and view election procedures.
    The Committee trained House employees to serve as contested 
election observers to provide the Committee with support in the 
event of numerous close House races after Election Day. 
Observers were requested in five closely contested House races 
in the 7th Congressional District of California, the 52nd 
Congressional District of California, the 18th Congressional 
District of Florida, the 23rd Congressional District of Texas, 
and the 4th Congressional District of Utah. The Committee sent 
observers to three of those races.
    Observers examined the processes and procedures at 
registrars' offices in the respective counties contained in the 
congressional district they were sent to observe. They looked 
for irregularities or possible concerns in the counting and 
recounting processes. Observers recorded their observations for 
the benefit of the Committee in the event the Committee needed 
those observations in an officially contested election. The 
Committee also monitored the legal action taken by candidates 
to preserve their rights in close races.

            ADDITIONAL OVERSIGHT ACTIVITIES OF THE COMMITTEE

House Office of Legislative Counsel and Law Revision Counsel 
        Modernization Project

    The Committee worked with the House Office of Legislative 
Counsel (``HOLC'') and the Office of Law Revision Counsel 
(``LRC'') on internal modernization projects. The goal of LRC 
is to maintain a complete, authoritative, accurate, and 
consolidated version of the U.S. Code. The HOLC portion of the 
project is focused on increasing the accuracy of legislative 
language and providing tools for Members and staff to more 
easily view the effect of amendments on bills and resolutions. 
The HOLC/LRC Modernization Project was awarded to three vendors 
whose goal is to produce and maintain the current U.S. Code 
system in an XML standard format. This project should decrease 
administrative costs and the time required to draft legislative 
language.

Congressional Internship Program for Individuals with Intellectual 
        Disabilities

    During the period of this report, the internship program 
had its highest level of participation since its creation. 
Thirty House and Senate offices participated in the program. 
Over the life of the program--nine semesters to date--more than 
sixty-five offices have hosted interns. The Committee intends 
to continue to build on the success of the program established 
by Representative Harper.

New Member Orientation

    The Committee is responsible for coordinating the 
orientation program and associated travel and logistics for 
newly elected Members of Congress and their designated aides. 
The program was held during the week of November 13-17, 2012, 
and continued during the week of November 27-December 1, 2012. 
The bipartisan administrative orientation program included a 
review of ethics and official resource rules, practical 
guidance on setting up a congressional office, an overview of 
procedures on the House Floor, and an introduction to the 
legislative process.

                 HEARINGS AND MEETINGS OF THE COMMITTEE

    The Subcommittee on Oversight conducted an oversight 
hearing on the Library of Congress on July 19, 2012, entitled, 
``Library of Congress: 2012 Inspector General Report on 
Library-Wide Acquisitions''. Testifying before the Committee's 
Subcommittee on Oversight were Deputy Librarian Robert Dizard 
Jr., Chief of Support Operations Lucy Suddreth, and Inspector 
General Karl Schornagel.

LEGISLATION WITHIN THE COMMITTEE'S JURISDICTION CONSIDERED BY THE HOUSE

    On July 19, 2012, the House considered H. Con. Res. 133, 
authorizing the use of the rotunda of the United States Capitol 
for an event to present the Congressional Gold Medal to Arnold 
Palmer, in recognition of his service to the Nation in 
promoting excellence and good sportsmanship in golf. By 
unanimous consent, the House agreed to the concurrent 
resolution. On July 26, 2012, the Senate agreed to the 
concurrent resolution by unanimous consent.
    On August 1, 2012, the House considered H. Con. Res. 135, 
authorizing the use of the rotunda of the Capitol for the 
presentation of the Congressional Gold Medal to Daw Aung San 
Suu Kyi, in recognition of her leadership and perseverance in 
the struggle for freedom and democracy in Burma. The House 
agreed to the concurrent resolution by unanimous consent.
    On August 2, 2012, the House passed S. 3510, a bill to 
prevent harm to the national security or endangering the 
military officers and civilian employees to whom internet 
publication of certain information applies, and for other 
purposes. The bill had been passed by unanimous consent in the 
Senate earlier that day. On August 7, 2012, the bill was signed 
by the President and became Public Law 112-173.
    On September 10, 2012, the House considered H.R. 6122, to 
revise the authority of the Librarian of Congress to accept 
gifts and bequests on behalf of the Library, and for other 
purposes. The bill was passed by the House under suspension of 
the rules by a vote of 377-0.
    On September 10, 2012, the House considered H.R. 6336, to 
direct the Joint Committee on the Library to accept a statue 
depicting Frederick Douglass from the District of Columbia and 
to provide for the permanent display of the statue in 
Emancipation Hall of the United States Capitol, under 
suspension of the rules. The House passed the bill by voice 
vote. On September 12, 2012, the Senate considered the bill and 
approved it by unanimous consent. On September 20, 2012, the 
President signed the bill and it became Public Law 112-174.
    On September 10, 2012, the House considered H. Con. Res. 
132, providing funding to ensure the printing and production of 
the authorized number of copies of the revised and updated 
version of the House document entitled ``Hispanic Americans in 
Congress'', and for other purposes, under suspension of the 
rules. The House agreed to the concurrent resolution by voice 
vote.
    On September 19, 2012, the House considered H.R. 5912, to 
amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to prohibit the use of 
public funds for political party conventions. On motion to 
suspend the rules, the House passed the bill by a vote of 310-
95.
    On December 20, 2012, the House considered S.J. Res. 49, to 
authorize the appointment of Ambassador Barbara Barrett for a 
six-year term on the Smithsonian Institution Board of Regents. 
The House agreed to the joint resolution by unanimous consent. 
The joint resolution had been agreed to in the Senate by 
unanimous consent on August 1, 2012.

            MINORITY VIEWS OF RANKING MEMBER ROBERT A. BRADY

          Republican Defense of Marriage Act Fiasco Escalates

    As these views were being drafted, with virtually the 
entire federal government facing spending cuts from the 
``fiscal cliff'' and possible sequestration, the Republican 
Leadership evidently still believes that the best use of 
precious taxpayer dollars is to spend upwards of $2 million in 
an attempt to defend discrimination.
    During the second half of the congressional session, the 
Committee arranged a secret funding increase to the contract 
entered into by the Bipartisan Legal Advisory Group (BLAG), 
controlled by the House Republican leadership, in a so-far 
losing crusade to protect the ``Defense of Marriage Act'' 
(DOMA) in Federal court.
    Since the initial contract entered into at the direction of 
the Speaker, Majority Leader, and Majority Whip, without 
consultation and input from the CHA Minority, we have been 
vocal about the process, costs, lack of input, and 
transparency.
    The latest contract modification was entered into on 
September 28, 2012, yet the Majority waited three months to 
share with the Minority the revised contract. The Majority has 
raised the cap of the DOMA contract twice: first on Sept. 29, 
2011, from its original maximum of $500,000 to $1.5 million, 
and again on Sept. 28 to its new maximum of $2 million.
    Earlier this year the Chief Administrative Officer for the 
House testified that the House tapped $742,000 from the 
legislative branch budget--specifically, from the ``salaries, 
officers and employees'' account--to cover DOMA related 
expenses. There has been no explanation of where the rest of 
these funds are coming from or how the money is being budgeted 
particularly given the potential spending cuts that the House 
faces.
    Yet more wasteful spending is likely in the 113th Congress 
as the DOMA case is heard by the Supreme Court.

                       Government Printing Office

    As always, the Democratic Members laud the dedicated men 
and women of the Government Printing Office (GPO) for the 
excellent work they perform every day in support of the 
American people, and especially for the Congress. Neither the 
House of Representatives nor the Senate could discharge its 
constitutional duties without the support of the GPO, which 
prints our bills, resolutions, hearing transcripts, the 
Congressional Record, and other documents enabling the 
legislative process to function. The GPO provides a multitude 
of related services, including web composition and support 
enabling constituents to become informed about what the 
government is doing through the miracle of information 
technology.
    For the past year, Deputy Public Printer Davita Vance-Cooks 
has acted as Public Printer following the refusal of a handful 
of senators to permit a vote on the President's nominee and 
subsequent recess appointee, William (Bill) Boarman of 
Maryland. Although we believe strongly that they gravely erred 
in blocking Mr. Boarman's confirmation, we have only praise for 
Ms. Vance-Cooks, the first African-American ever to lead the 
agency. Under her stewardship, the GPO has turned numerous 
challenges into opportunities and the agency is in great shape 
for the future.
    GPO's recent accomplishments include ending fiscal year 
2012 with a positive net income, a monumental achievement when 
agencies are cutting their printing. GPO also slashed overhead 
to fiscal 2008 levels, in part by staging a targeted buy-out 
for employees in key areas. Ms. Vance-Cooks, and Mr. Boarman 
before her, also focused efforts to collect millions due from 
agency customers for work already performed and simultaneously 
enhanced business processes to prevent billing errors and 
disputes from arising in the first place. These and other steps 
enabled the acting Public Printer to submit a flat (``no-
increase'') budget to Congress for fiscal 2013.
    In addition to these fiscal successes, GPO has lately 
reconfirmed its expertise in digital media by releasing mobile 
``apps,'' beginning with a guide to Members of Congress and an 
award-winning app on the federal budget. GPO also collaborated 
with the Library of Congress on the development of a 
Congressional Record app for the Apple devices and has since 
released apps on Presidential Papers and for the quadrennial 
``Plum Book'' listing key jobs in the Executive branch. GPO has 
achieved these great things while working with the State 
Department on development of the next generation of U.S. 
passports and expanding GPO's penetration of the growing 
federal market for ``smart'' cards and other secure documents.
    We note the recent appointment of a new GPO Inspector 
General, Michael Raponi, who has already demonstrated his 
office's value by promptly examining GPO billings associated 
with House committees and finding no major problems. We greatly 
appreciate GPO's continued support and guidance for Congress' 
``COOP'' (continuation of operations) planning as well as its 
recent establishment in Mississippi of redundant capacity for 
smart-card production. We are grateful that GPO management is 
offering surplus office and warehouse space to the Senate, the 
Architect of the Capitol, the U.S. Capitol Police (USCP) and 
other agencies to make the greatest use of its physical plant 
on North Capitol Street and thereby ease the burden on the 
beleaguered taxpayer.
    While much has been achieved, we recognize the need for 
this committee to work together with the majority on two 
legislative projects. First, we remain interested in seeing the 
GPO Police merge with the Capitol Police. We believe that 
consolidating GPO into the Capitol Police's operational 
framework (GPO is already within USCP's extended physical 
jurisdiction) makes sense from a security perspective and from 
a cost perspective; it is more compelling since USCP leases 
space from GPO, stores key equipment and posts USCP personnel 
there already. The merger process could be painless; the 2009 
merger of the Library of Congress Police into the USCP has 
drawn a ``road map'' for GPO, USCP and the Committee on a 
smooth implementation.
    Second, the Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP) 
remains of vital importance to the American people. The 
program, authorized in 1962, was obviously designed years 
before the internet existed and vast quantities of federal 
information were created and stored in electronic format. We 
are interested in working with the majority, the Public 
Printer, the Superintendent of Documents, and other 
stakeholders to find a balance between the needs of libraries 
and their patrons and the government's need for preservation 
and dissemination of public information. There has been no 
serious attempt to reauthorize the FDLP since 1998, and it 
shows.
    Last year, the appropriations committees mandated a third-
party examination of the need for GPO and the viability of its 
business model for the future. The examination, conducted by 
the National Academy of Public Administration, is nearing 
completion. We look to NAPA's findings and recommendations.

                    Voting Rights and Fair Elections

    The Committee on House Administration took no action on any 
significant legislation in the 112th Congress to enhance the 
voting rights of Americans or to improve election 
administration in the states by amending HAVA, reauthorizing 
the Election Assistance Commission or through other means.
    Planning ahead for the 113th Congress, in December 2012 
members of the House Democratic Caucus formed a task force 
designed to confront the pressing issues of the role of money 
in politics and the shortcomings in current election 
administration. The task force, titled D.A.R.E.--Disclose, 
Amend, Reform, Empower--consists of the following action areas:

                                DISCLOSE

    During the 111th Congress, House Democrats introduced H.R. 
5175, the DISCLOSE Act, in an attempt to brunt the toxic 
effects of unlimited outside spending. The DISCLOSE Act aimed 
to ban certain contributions from government contractors and 
foreign nationals as well as strengthen disclosure requirements 
for corporations, tax-exempt charitable organizations, 
political organizations other than political committees, and 
registered lobbyists. While H.R. 5175 passed the House on June 
24, 2010, by a vote of 219-206, the bill was not able to secure 
enough votes to overcome a Senate filibuster.
    In the 112th Congress, H.R. 4010, the DISCLOSE 2012 Act, 
was introduced to pick up where the earlier bill left off. 
While differing in some aspects, H.R. 4010 retains the 
disclosure requirements of H.R. 5175 and strengthens the 
``Stand by your ad'' requirements of the Bipartisan Campaign 
Reform Act on 2002, casting further light on who is funding our 
elections. H.R. 4010 also expands the period for which certain 
communications are treated as electioneering communications, 
requires disclosure to shareholder, members, or donors of 
certain campaign-related disbursements from covered 
organizations. The Majority refused repeated requests to hold 
hearings or a committee markup on H.R. 4010.

                                 AMEND

    The Democrats on House Administration support efforts to 
blunt or eliminate the toxic effect unlimited outside 
contributions have on our democratic process. Since the Supreme 
Court upheld unlimited independent political expenditures in 
their Citizens United v. FEC decision with a constitutional 
rather than statutory interpretation, amending the Constitution 
is the clearest but most cumbersome way to undo the damage. 
States continue to pass resolutions calling on Congress to pass 
a constitutional amendment rejecting Citizens United, while 
Members of Congress introduce joint resolutions to amend the 
Constitution in the House. None have been acted upon.

                                 REFORM

    While reversing the detrimental effects of the Citizens 
United and the SuperPAC-creating SpeechNow.org v. FEC decision 
is critical to restoring integrity to our elections, it is 
equally important to engage citizens. By encouraging small-
dollar donors to engage in the political process and 
eliminating candidate dependence on a small number of high-
dollar contributions we can maximize participation while 
limiting the influence currently wielded by a small number of 
well-heeled donors.
    Incentivizing political contributions at the grassroots 
level can be accomplished through tax credits, deductions, 
voucher systems, or some combination thereof. When used in 
conjunction with a contribution-matching system, citizens are 
not only given a tangible incentive to make political 
contributions but are also provided with a means to amplify 
their effect, thereby reducing some of the volume created by 
massive contributions.

                                EMPOWER

    The constitutionally-protected right to vote is the 
cornerstone of any democracy and attempts to contract the 
franchise should be met with the utmost amount of resistance 
and scrutiny.
    Following the 2010 election cycle, an unprecedented wave of 
voter suppression legislation was introduced in states across 
the country by Republican governors and state legislators. 
While the highest profile tactic employed was in the form of 
strict voter ID laws, states also tried, and in some cases 
succeeded, in drastically reducing early voting periods and 
placing new arbitrary restrictions of voter registration 
efforts. But on election day, voters participated in near 
record-numbers and waited in line for many hours to counter 
efforts to discourage them from appearing or casting ballots. 
The courts blocked or temporarily delayed offensive provisions 
in a number of states. However, the danger to the democratic 
process persists.
    During the 112th Congress, Representative John Lewis 
introduced H.R. 5799, the Voter Empowerment Act (VEA), a 
comprehensive electoral reform bill designed to maximize access 
to the ballot for eligible voters. Among other provisions, the 
VEA modernizes and simplifies the voter registration process, 
mandates early voting periods, ensures all properly cast 
ballots are counted, and provides for the better training and 
recruitment of poll workers.
    The 2012 election was not without its share of correctable 
problems. According to the Brennan Center at New York 
University, reported issues that affected and potentially 
disenfranchised voters on Election Day were:
    Registration problems: 21%
    Polling place problems: 21%
    Absentee voting problems: 12%
    Voter ID problems: 11%
    Voting equipment problems: 8%
    Poll worker problems: 8%
    Voter intimidation: 7%
    Other: 12%
    It is critical the Committee take action in the future to 
ensure such easily correctable problems do not disenfranchise 
even one eligible voter.

                          Contested Elections

    The Committee on House Administration Democratic staff 
trained dozens of House staff volunteers to serve as observers 
of close elections should they be requested by either 
candidate. A joint determination is usually made by both the 
Republican and Democratic staffs on the necessity of sending 
observers. These observers are sent to fact-find and gather 
evidence to be considered should the matter become a contested 
election before the House pursuant to the Federal Contested 
Elections Act. The Committee has the Constitutional authority 
to resolve House election contests under the powers delegated 
by the House under the Constitutional authority of Article 1, 
section 5, which calls on each house to have the power to judge 
its elections.
    Six staff were sent to observe the following congressional 
races for the 113th Congress:
    7th Congressional District of California; winner--Ami Bera 
(D)
    52nd Congressional District of California; winner--Scott 
Peters (D)
    18th Congressional District of Florida; winner--Patrick 
Murphy (D)
    None of the close races from the November, 2012, election 
resulted in any contests being filed with the House of 
Representatives.

                     Gerrymandering the Presidency

    After the 2012 general election, stories appeared in the 
press about plans by Republican governors, state legislators, 
party officials, interest groups and wealthy donors to tamper 
with the Electoral College to inflate the vote for future 
Republican presidential candidates. Using their domination of 
state governorships and legislatures achieved in the 2010 
elections and enhanced by subsequent gerrymandering of state 
legislative and congressional seats, Republican legislation was 
being prepared in several states traditionally carried by 
Democratic presidential candidates, including President Obama 
in 2012, to move to a system where electoral votes were awarded 
by congressional district, a system currently employed only in 
Nebraska and Maine.
    If this system had been in existence in 2012, a majority of 
the electoral votes in a number of states, such as Pennsylvania 
and Michigan, would have gone to Mitt Romney even though he 
lost the statewide popular vote by a wide margin. Gerrymandered 
congressional districts would have distorted the presidential 
vote even further than the current Electoral College system, 
which had elevated the popular vote loser, George W. Bush, to 
the presidency in 2001.
    Since it is the Congress which ultimately counts and 
determines the validity of electoral votes cast and declares 
the winners of the presidential and vice presidential contests, 
there is a role for the House--and our Committee--in evaluating 
such state policies.

                           Crisis Management

    Hurricane Sandy had a dramatic impact on the northeastern 
United States just days before the 2012 general election. Some 
states, particularly New York and New Jersey, experienced 
prolonged periods of blackout as well as thousands of displaced 
residents, with polling locations converted to use as emergency 
shelters.
    State governors issued executive orders allowing displaced 
residents and emergency workers to cast a ballot via email or 
fax using a system already in place for overseas voters, and 
allowing displaced voters to vote by affidavit at any polling 
location in the state. The House Administration Committee 
should consider what further steps can be taken to ensure 
emergency contingency plans are in place in the event of a 
future disaster which occurs so close to an election.

                               Transition

    The Committee on House Administration is continuing to 
oversee the transition to the 113th Congress. For the bulk of 
2012, committee staff has worked with staff of the Architect of 
the Capitol, the Chief Administrative Officer, and the Clerk to 
ensure a smooth transition. This year's transition has been 
further complicated by the congressional redistricting that 
resulted from the 2010 Census. The Committee will need to 
monitor and review policies enacted with regards to 
redistricting to assess their effectiveness.
    The primary functions of Congressional transition occur 
within the offices of the Chief Administrative Officer and the 
House Superintendent. As departing Members leave, all the 
activities associated with closing an office are facilitated by 
various departments. Mirroring this, the House prepares to 
support the offices of the newly elected Members. For those 
both incoming and departing, processes concerning payroll, 
billing, security, mail, telecommunications, inventory, 
contracts and records management must be coordinated. Notably, 
222 House office moves will occur this year, all scheduled for 
completion prior to the beginning of the 113th Congress.
                                                   Robert A. Brady.

                                  
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