[Deschler's Precedents, Volume 1, Chapters 1 - 6]
[Chapter 3.  Party Organization]
[C. Party Committees and Informal Groups]
[Â§ 13. Steering Committee]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]


[Page 197-199]
 
                               CHAPTER 3
 
                           Party Organization
 
                C. PARTY COMMITTEES AND INFORMAL GROUPS
 
Sec. 13. Steering Committee

    The Republican Conference in 1919 authorized the creation of a 
steering committee to be nominated by the Committee on Committees and 
elected by the party conference.(18) The committee created 
by the Republicans is now known as the Policy Committee.(19)
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18. See 8 Cannon's Precedents Sec. 3621.
19. The Policy Committee is discussed in Sec. 12, supra.
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    A Democratic Steering Committee was created in the 73d Congress to 
consist of 15 Members elected to represent geographical 
zones.(20) Cannon stated that, ``the Steering Committee is 
not responsible to the caucus, and the election of its members . . . is 
not subject to caucus ratification or rejection'';(1) that, 
``members of the Steering Committee are directly responsible to the 
membership of the zone from which elected and are subject to recall at 
any time'';(2) and that, ``the Chairman of the Steering 
Committee is elected by the committee and is ineligible to succeed 
himself.''(3)
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20. See 8 Cannon's Precedents Sec. 3622.
 1. 8 Cannon's Precedents Sec. 3622.
 2. Id.
 3. Id.
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    The purposes of the Steering Committee as originally created were 
to consult with the various geographical groups on pending legislation, 
to promote unity among the groups, and to advise the party leadership 
as to legislative scheduling and floor strategy.(4)
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 4. See Congressional Quarterly's Guide to the Congress of the United 
        States, Congressional Quarterly Service (Washington, D.C., 
        1971), pp. 142, 604. See also 8 Cannon's Precedents Sec. 3622, 
        discussing the functions of the steering committee.
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    The Democratic Steering Committee was relatively inactive for many 
years. But changes in the committee's composition and functions were 
included in an addendum to the 1973 caucus rules and, more recently, 
the committee has assumed new importance as the

[[Page 198]]

Steering and Policy Committee. The current role of the committee, 
including its role in the determination of standing committee 
assignments for party members, will be discussed more extensively in 
supplements to this edition. Briefly, the committee at present is 
composed of the party leadership in addition to those members elected 
on a geographical basis or appointed by the Speaker. Its main functions 
are to make recommendations regarding party policy, legislative 
priorities, and the scheduling of matters for House or caucus action.
    In the 89th Congress, resolutions were adopted authorizing payments 
from the contingent fund of the House to be applied to salaries for 
certain employees of the Steering Committee(5) and to 
expenses of the committee.(6)
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 5. See Sec. 13.1, infra.
 6. See Sec. 13.2, infra.
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    Members of the Democratic Steering Committee from its inauguration 
to Mar. 21, 1945, are listed in an appendix to the Congressional Record 
of the 79th Congress. In that Congress, Mr. William M. Whittington, of 
Mississippi, asked and was given permission to extend his remarks in 
the appendix of the Record and to include therein the membership rolls 
of the Democratic Steering Committee from its inauguration, in addition 
to a partial list of the Chairmen of the Democratic 
Caucus.(7) The list includes the ex officio members of the 
committee in each of the Congresses. In the 73d Congress, the ex 
officio members were the Speaker, floor leader, caucus chairman, 
Chairman of the Committee on Rules, and the whip. Beginning with the 
76th Congress, the Chairman of the Committee on Ways and Means and the 
Chairman of the Committee on Appropriations were also designated as ex 
officio members of the Steering Committee. At present,(8) ex 
officio members include the Speaker, the floor leader, the whip, the 
caucus chairman, the secretary of the caucus and the Chairman of the 
Congressional Campaign Committee.
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 7. The list appears in the appendix to the Record, 91 (part 10) Cong. 
        Rec. A1367, A1368, 79th Cong. 1st Sess., Mar. 21, 1945 
        (extension of remarks of Mr. William M. Whittington).
 8. See Congressional Quarterly's Guide to the Congress of the United 
        States, Congressional Quarterly Service (Washington, D.C., 
        1971), p. 142; and Ripley, Randall B., Party Leaders in the 
        House of Representatives, The Brookings Institution 
        (Washington, D.C., 1967), p. 
        47.                          -------------------
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Compensation for Employees

Sec. 13.1 The House on occasion has provided by resolution

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    for compensation to be payable from the contingent fund of the 
    House to employees of the Democratic Steering Committee.

    On Aug. 24, 1965,(9) the following resolution was 
adopted by the House:
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 9. 111 Cong. Rec. 21545, 89th Cong. 1st Sess. A resolution authorizing 
        an increase in the compensation of the positions referred to in 
        H. Res. 543, 89th Cong. 1st Sess. (1965), was rejected in the 
        91st Congress. See 116 Cong. Rec. 27449, 27451, 91st Cong. 2d 
        Sess., Aug. 5, 1970.
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                                  H. Res. 543

        Resolved, That, effective September 1, 1965, there shall be 
    payable from the contingent fund of the House of Representatives, 
    until otherwise provided by law, compensation at a basic rate per 
    annum not exceeding the maximum rate authorized by the 
    Classification Act of 1949, as amended, to one employee of each of 
    the following:
        (1) the House Democratic Steering Committee; and
        (2) the House Republican Conference.

Later in the first session of the 89th Congress,(10) 
compensation for an additional employee of the Steering Committee was 
authorized by the following resolution:
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10. 111 Cong. Rec. 28563, Oct. 22, 1965.
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                                  H. Res. 625

        Resolved, That, effective November 1, 1965, there shall be 
    payable from the contingent fund of the House of Representatives, 
    until otherwise provided by law, compensation at a basic rate not 
    exceeding $4,180 per annum to one additional employee of each of 
    the following:
        (1) the House Democratic Steering Committee; and
        (2) the House Republican Conference.

Expense Allowance

Sec. 13.2 The House adopted a resolution providing for payment for 
    certain expenses of the Democratic Steering Committee from the 
    contingent fund of the House.

    In the second session of the 89th Congress,(11) the 
following resolution was agreed to by the House:
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11. 112 Cong. Rec. 170, Jan. 13, 1966.
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                                  H. Res. 661

        Resolved, That, effective January 3, 1966, there shall be 
    payable from the contingent fund of the House of Representatives, 
    until otherwise provided by law, not to exceed $5,000 annually for 
    necessary expenses, other than salaries, to each of the following:
        (1) the House Democratic Steering Committee; and
        (2) the House Republican Conference.