[Deschler's Precedents, Volume 4, Chapters 15 - 17]
[Chapter 17. Committees]
[B. Committee Chairmen, Members, and Employees]
[Â§ 9. Electing Members to Standing Committees]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]


[Page 2629-2643]
 
                               CHAPTER 17
 
                               Committees
 
             B. COMMITTEE CHAIRMEN, MEMBERS, AND EMPLOYEES
 
Sec. 9. Electing Members to Standing Committees

    The sections that follow discuss the manner in which the House 
elects members to standing committees.(10) Considerations 
involving the election of members to subcommittees are not reflected in 
the precedents, as determinations are separately made by the majority 
and minority party members who constitute the membership of the 
committee.
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10. For a discussion of the role of party organizations with regard to 
        this process, see Ch. 3, supra. For an in-depth treatment of 
        the role of party organizations with respect to committee 
        assignments, see the rules of the Democratic Caucus and the 
        rules of the Republican Conference.
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    For example, under the 1977 rules of the Democratic 
Caucus,(11) once the Caucus has approved that party's 
nominees to the standing committees (or other committees with 
legislative jurisdiction), the chairman of each is obliged to call a 
meeting of all the Democratic members of the committee, giving at least 
three days notice and prior to any organizational meeting of the full 
committee.(12) The Democratic members of the committee-also 
known as the committee caucus--then fill the subcommittee positions in 
the following manner:
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11. Democratic Caucus rules (June 2, 1977) section M III A.
12. Democratic Caucus rules (June 2, 1977) section M V B.
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        (1) Step One--Members who served on the committee in the 
    preceding Con

[[Page 2630]]

    gress shall be entitled to retain not more than two subcommittee 
    assignments held on that committee in the preceding Congress. 
    Members chosen as subcommittee chairmen . . . shall be entitled to 
    retain only one other subcommittee assignment held on that 
    committee in the preceding Congress.
        (2) Step Two--Members who retain no subcommittee assignments in 
    Step One and new Members shall be entitled, in order of their 
    ranking on the full committee, to select one subcommittee position 
    each.
        (3) Step Three--Members who have selected only one subcommittee 
    assignment shall be entitled, in order of their ranking on the full 
    committee, to select a second subcommittee assignment, to the 
    extent that subcommittee size permits.
        (4) Step Four--Any remaining subcommittee vacancies shall be 
    filled by additional rounds of selection in order of Members' 
    ranking on the full committee.
        (5) If a committee Caucus determines . . . that Members may bid 
    for subcommittee chairmanships by subcommittee rather than full 
    committee seniority, the ranking Members on each subcommittee shall 
    be determined by the order in which Members elect to go on the 
    subcommittee.

    The Republican Conference does not have a definitive rule or 
procedure for selecting its proposed subcommittee 
members.(13)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
13. Rules of the Conference of the Republican members-elect of the 
        United States House of Representatives, 96th Congress.
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    Parliamentarian's Note: Resolutions at the commencement of a 
Congress initially electing Members to standing committees have 
traditionally been called up as privileged at the direction of the 
party organization.(14) As the result of adoption of the 
Committee Reform Amendments of 1974 (H. Res. 988, 120 Cong. Rec. 34447-
70, 93d Cong. 2d Sess., Oct. 8, 1974, effective Jan. 3, 1975), 
beginning in the 94th Congress the overall size of standing committees 
was no longer designated in the standing rules, but party caucuses were 
specifically vested with authority to nominate Members for election to 
standing committees at the commencement of each 
Congress.(15) Thus, beginning with the 94th Congress, the 
overall size of committees was in effect determined by the committee 
ratios negotiated by the party leaders at the direction of their 
respective party organizations and by the resulting numbers of Members 
elected to those committees by separate privileged resolutions called 
up by each party's designee. The party organizations retained the 
customary prerogative of calling up as privileged resolutions electing 
committee members subsequent to the election of members at the 
commencement of each

[[Page 2631]]

Congress, either in situations where specific vacancies had been 
created by resignations accepted by the House, where additional 
majority or minority members were being elected to committees pursuant 
to an implicit understanding between the two party organizations as to 
the existence of ``vacancies'' based upon the ratio on, and the absence 
of a designated overall size of, that standing committee, or where 
reranking of elected Members was necessary to conform with party caucus 
rules on simultaneous holding of party and committee positions.
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14. 8 Cannon's Precedents Sec. Sec. 2179, 2182.
15. Rule X clause 6(a) (1), House Rules and Manual Sec. 701(a) 
        (1979).                          -------------------
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Electing Many Members Simultaneously at Beginning of Congress

Sec. 9.1 The House by a single privileged resolution recommended by 
    party caucus or conference normally erects en bloc most members 
    from a particular party to various committees of the House.

    On Jan. 23, 1967,(16) Speaker John W. McCormack, of 
Massachusetts, recognized Mr. Wilbur D. Mills, of Arkansas, who offered 
the following privileged resolution (H. Res. 165): (17)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
16. 113 Cong. Rec. 1086, 90th Cong. 1st Sess.
17. Only a few of the Members' named, are shown in this excerpt from 
        the resolution. In its entirety, the resolution provided for 
        the election of more than 240 Members.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

        Resolved, That the following-named Members be, and they are 
    hereby, elected members of the following standing committees of the 
    House of Representatives:
        Committee on Agriculture: W. R. Poage (chairman), Texas; E. C. 
    Gathings, Arkansas; John L. McMillan, South Carolina; Thomas G. 
    Abernethy, Mississippi; Watkins M. Abbitt, Virginia. . . .
        Committee on Banking and Currency: Wright Patman (chairman), 
    Texas; Abraham J. Multer, New York; William A. Barrett, 
    Pennsylvania; Leonor K. (Mrs. John B.) Sullivan, Missouri; Henry S. 
    Reuss, Wisconsin . . . .
        Committee on the District of Columbia: John L. McMillan 
    (chairman), South Carolina; Thomas G. Abernethy, Mississippi; 
    William L. Dawson, Illinois; Abraham J. Multer, New York. . . .
        Committee on Education and Labor: Carl D. Perkins (chairman), 
    Kentucky; Edith Green, Oregon; Frank Thompson, Jr., New Jersey; 
    Elmer J. Holland, Pennsylvania; John H. Dent, Pennsylvania. . . .
        Committee on Foreign Affairs: Thomas E. Morgan (chairman), 
    Pennsylvania; Clement J. Zablocki, Wisconsin; Omar Burleson, Texas; 
    Edna F. Kelly, New York. . . .
        Committee on Government Operations: William L. Dawson 
    (chairman),

[[Page 2632]]

    Illinois; Chet Holifield, California; Jack Brooks, Texas; L. H. 
    Fountain, North Carolina. . . .
        Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs: Wayne N. Aspinall 
    (chairman), Colorado; James A. Haley, Florida; Ed Edmondson, 
    Oklahoma; Walter S. Baring, Nevada. . . .
        Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce: Harley O. 
    Staggers (chairman), West Virginia; Samuel N. Friedel, Maryland; 
    Torbert H. Macdonald, Massachusetts; John Jarman, Oklahoma. . . .
        Committee on the Judiciary: Emanuel Celler (chairman), New 
    York; Michael A. Feighan, Ohio; Edwin E. Willis, Louisiana; Peter 
    W. Rodino, Jr., New Jersey. . . .
        Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries: Edward A. Garmatz 
    (chairman), Maryland; Leonor K. (Mrs. John B.) Sullivan, Missouri; 
    Frank M. Clark, Pennsylvania; Thomas L. Ashley, Ohio. . . .
        Committee on Post Office and Civil Service: Thaddeus J. Dulski 
    (chairman), New York; David N. Henderson, North Carolina; Arnold 
    Olsen, Montana; Morris K. Udall, Arizona. . . .
        Committee on Public Works: George H. Fallon (chairman), 
    Maryland; John A. Blatnik, Minnesota; Robert E. Jones, Alabama; 
    John C. Kluczynski, Illinois. . . .
        Committee on Science and Astronautics: George P. Miller 
    (chairman), California; Olin E. Teague, Texas; Joseph E. Karth, 
    Minnesota; Ken Hechler, West Virginia. . . .
        Committee on Un-American Activities: Edwin E. Willis 
    (chairman), Louisiana; William M. Tuck, Virginia; Joe R. Pool, 
    Texas; Richard H. Ichord, Missouri. . . .
        Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Olin E. Teague (chairman), 
    Texas; W. J. Bryan Dorn, South Carolina; James A. Haley, Florida; 
    Walter S. Baring, Nevada. . . .

    Shortly thereafter,(18) the resolution was agreed to.
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18. 113 Cong. Rec. 1087, 90th Cong. Ist Sess.
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    Parliamentarian's Note: The Committees on Appropriations, House 
Administration, Rules, and Ways and Means had been previously elected, 
it being necessary to the early organization of the House in the 90th 
Congress.

Electing Members to Newly Created Committees

Sec. 9.2 Members are elected to newly created standing committees of 
    the House by privileged resolution called up by the party caucus.

    On May 1, 1967,(19) shortly after the House convened, 
Speaker John W. McCormack, of Massachusetts, recognized Mr. Wilbur D. 
Mills, of Arkansas, Chairman of the Committee on Ways and Means (and 
the Democratic Committee on Committees), who offered a privilege 
resolution (H. Res. 457), which read as follows:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
19. 113 Cong. Rec. 11281, 90th Cong. 1st Sess.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

        Resolved, That the following-named Members be, and they are 
    hereby,

[[Page 2633]]

    elected members of the standing Committee of the House of 
    Representatives on Standard of Official Conduct: Melvin Price 
    (chairman), Illinois; Olin E. Teague, Texas; Joe L. Evins, 
    Tennessee; Watkins M. Abbitt, Virginia; Wayne N. Aspinall, 
    Colorado; Edna F. Kelly, New York.

    House Resolution 457 was agreed to without debate.

    Immediately thereafter, Gerald R. Ford, of Michigan, the Minority 
Leader, offered a similarly privileged resolution (H. Res. 458) which 
stated:

        Resolved, That the following-named Members be, and they are 
    hereby, elected members of the standing Committee on Standards of 
    Official Conduct: Charles A. Halleck, Indiana; Leslie C. Arends, 
    Illinois; Jackson E. Betts, Ohio; Robert T. Stafford, Vermont; 
    James H. Quillen, Tennessee; Lawrence G. Williams, Pennsylvania.

    House Resolution 458, the minority party's counterpart to House 
Resolution 457, was also agreed to without debate.
    Parliamentarian's Note: On occasion, the Member offering a 
resolution electing a person or persons to a standing committee will 
acknowledge the fact that such proposals arise from party 
determinations. See, for example, 108 Cong. Rec. 263, 87th Cong. 2d 
Sess., Jan. 16, 1962, where Mr. Francis E. Walter, of Pennsylvania, 
offered a similar resolution ``by direction of the Democratic Caucus.''
    See Sec. 9.4, infra, for the resolution (H. Res. 418) establishing 
the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct.

Privileged Status of Electing Resolution

Sec. 9.3 A resolution providing for the election of a Member to a 
    standing committee of the House is presented as privileged.

    On July 8, 1969,(20) Speaker John W. McCormack, of 
Massachusetts, recognized Wilbur D. Mills, of Arkansas, who, in his 
capacity as Chairman of the majority party's Committee on 
Committees,(21) made the following statement:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
20. 115 Cong. Rec. 18608, 91st Cong. 1st Sess.
21. See Ch. 3, Sec. 11, supra.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

        Mr. Speaker, I offer a privileged resolution (H. Res. 471) and 
    ask for its immediate consideration.

    The resolution (H. Res. 471) as then read by the Clerk, as follows:

        Resolved, That John Melcher, of Montana, be, and he is hereby, 
    elected to the standing committee of the House of Representatives 
    on Agriculture.(22)
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22. For another example see 112 Cong. Rec. 27486, 89th Cong. 2d Sess., 
        Oct. 18, 1966, where a resolution (H. Res. 1066) providing for 
        the election of Mr. Richard L. Ottinger [N.Y.], to the 
        Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce was similarly 
        presented as privileged.

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[[Page 2634]]

    Parliamentarian's Note: Immediately prior to the consideration of 
House Resolution 471 as privileged, the House had by unanimous consent 
considered and agreed to House Resolution 470 (1) which 
expanded the size of the Committee on Agriculture from 33 to 34 members 
for the remainder of the 91st Congress, in order that a vacancy could 
be created on that committee to which Mr. John Melcher, of Montana, 
could then be elected by privileged resolution reported from the 
Democratic Committee on Committees. This sequence of consideration of 
resolutions, first creating a vacancy on a standing committee and then 
electing a Member to fill that vacancy is illustrative of the practice 
traditionally followed by the House until the end of the 93d Congress. 
Under that practice, Rule X of the standing rules designated the 
overall size of each standing committee, and resolutions enlarging the 
size of standing committees were either considered by unanimous consent 
or by privileged report from the Committee on Rules. Then, with a 
vacancy having been so created, or by resignation of a committee member 
accepted by the House, the consideration of a resolution at the 
direction of the party caucus or committee on committees became 
privileged in order to fill the vacancy.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 1. 115 Cong. Rec. 18608, 91st Cong. 1st Sess, July 8, 1969.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Significance of Party Ratios

Sec. 9.4 In both the House and Senate, the party ratios on most 
    standing committees tend to reflect the relative membership of the 
    two parties in the House or Senate as a whole. Sometimes, however, 
    the membership of a committee is equally divided between the 
    majority and minority parties where bipartisan deliberations are 
    considered essential.

    On Apr. 13, 1967,(2) by direction of the Committee on 
Rules, Mr. William M. Colmer, of Mississippi, called up House 
Resolution 418 and asked for its immediate consideration. The 
resolution read as follows:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 2. 113 Cong. Rec. 9425, 90th Cong. 1st Sess.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

        Resolved, That there is hereby established a standing committee 
    of the House of Representatives to be known as the Committee on 
    Standards of Official Conduct (hereafter referred to as

[[Page 2635]]

    the ``committee''). The committee shall be composed of twelve 
    Members of the House of Representatives. Six members of the 
    committee shall be members of the majority party and six shall be 
    members of the minority party.
        Sec. 2. The jurisdiction of the committee shall be to recommend 
    as soon as practicable to the House of Representatives such changes 
    in laws, rules, and regulations as the committee deems necessary to 
    establish and enforce standards of official conduct for Members, 
    officers, and employees of the House.
        Sec. 3. The committee may hold such hearings and take such 
    testimony as may be necessary to carry out the purposes of this 
    resolution.

    In the course of the ensuing discussion, Mr. Colmer directly 
touched upon the division of the committee's membership between the 
parties. He explained the unusual arrangement, as follows:

        The resolution authorizes that standing committee to consist of 
    12 members, six from the majority side and six from the minority 
    side. Why was that done? It was done because the committee in its 
    wisdom recognized that this aisle here, separating the minority 
    from the majority, does not apply in the matter of honor and 
    integrity and ethics. The subject matter is not political. For the 
    same reason, it was made a standing committee rather than a select 
    committee on the theory that there is no reason to suspect or to 
    believe that the 91st Congress and its successors will be more 
    ethical or more honorable than the 90th Congress.

    The resolution was adopted (3) by a yea and nay vote of 
400 to 0.(4)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 3. Id. at p. 9448.
 4. See Sec. 9.5, infra, where the more typical situation of 
        maintaining appropriate party ratios within committees was 
        discussed in the Senate relative to a decision of a Senator to 
        change his party affiliation.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Parliamentarian's Note: See Chapter 3, Sec. 9, supra, for 
discussion of determinations relating to party ratios on standing 
committees.

Sec. 9.5 The Senate Majority Leader announced that the change in party 
    affiliation by a Senator might necessitate a change in party ratios 
    on certain committees, depending on the committee assignment given 
    the Senator.

    On Sept. 21, 1964,(5) Presiding Officer Pierre E. G. 
Salinger, of California, of the Senate recognized Majority Leader 
Michael J. Mansfield, of Montana, who then discussed the implications 
of a recent shift in party affiliation by a Senator who sat on the 
Committee on Commerce and the Committee on Armed Services. The 
relationship between party affiliation and the composition of most 
committees (6) is readily ap
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 5. 110 Cong. Rec. 22369, 88th Cong. 2d Sess.
 6. See Sec. 9.4, supra, for an instance in which the membership of a 
        particular committee in the House was divided equally between 
        the majority and minority parties.
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[[Page 2636]]

parent in the exchange which ensued:

        Mr. Mansfield: Mr. President, in view of the fact that the 
    distinguished Senator from South Carolina [Mr. Thurmond] has, on 
    his own volition, changed his allegiance from the Democratic to the 
    Republican Party, I feel that I should make a statement relative to 
    his committee assignments.
        The present Senate ratio is 66 Democrats to 34 Republicans--
    that is, with the Senator from South Carolina [Mr. Thurmond] going 
    over to the Republican side of the aisle.
        This means that the Democrats would be entitled to 66 percent 
    of the membership on the two committees. The present overall 
    membership on both committees is 17.
        Prior to Senator Thurmond's change of party, the Democrats had 
    12 seats on each and the Republicans had 5.
        When I refer to these two committees, I refer of course to the 
    Committee on Commerce and the Committee on Armed Services.
        If the party ratio of the present membership of the Senate as a 
    whole is applied to the 17-man membership of each committee, it 
    yields 11.2 Democrats and 5.8 Republicans. In the circumstances, 
    unless it is intended to change the old ratio in some other 
    committee or committees, it would appear that the Republicans would 
    be entitled to an additional seat on each of the two committees and 
    the Democrats would lose them. In short, the ratio would become 11 
    to 6 instead of 12 to 5. Following precedent, each party determines 
    its choice of members for each committee. In the present 
    circumstances, it would be, therefore, the decision of the 
    Republican caucus as to whether or not Senator Thurmond retains his 
    present membership on the two committees or some other Republican 
    is substituted for him and he is otherwise assigned. If he remains 
    on the Armed Services and Commerce by choice of the Republican 
    caucus, no Senate action is necessary. If the Republicans decide to 
    shift him, a pro forma resolution of the Senate would be necessary 
    to reflect the shift.
        Mr. [Everett McKinley] Dirksen [of Illinois]: Mr. President, 
    will the majority leader yield?
        Mr. Mansfield: I yield.
        Mr. Dirksen: I am delighted that the majority leader has 
    clarified this question concerning the party ratio on the two 
    committees in question. We shall have a policy meeting tomorrow. 
    And it is entirely correct that this matter should be discussed. I 
    am delighted, indeed, that the majority leader has clarified the 
    situation at this time.
        Mr. Mansfield: I thank the minority leader.

Designation of Rank

Sec. 9.6 The House adopted a resolution electing a Member to a 
    committee of the House and designating his rank thereon.

    On June 29, 1961,(7) Speaker Sam Rayburn, of Texas, 
recog
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 7. 107 Cong. Rec. 11797, 87th Cong. 1st Sess.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

[[Page 2637]]

nized Mr. Wilbur D. Mills, of Arkansas, who offered the following 
privileged resolution (H. Res. 367):

        Resolved, That J. Edward Roush, of Indiana, be, and he is 
    hereby elected, a member of the standing committee of the House of 
    Representatives on Science and Astronautics and to rank number 10th 
    thereon.

    Immediately thereafter, the resolution was agreed to.
    Parliamentarian's Note: The election of Mr. Roush to the committee 
was delayed pending the resolution of a contested-election case 
involving his seat. He did not take the oath as a Member until June 14, 
1961.

Sec. 9.7 The House agreed to a resolution electing Members to a 
    committee and fixing their relative rank thereon.

    On Feb. 8, 1943,(8) the following resolution (H. Res. 
103) was considered and agreed to:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 8. 89 Cong. Rec. 692, 78th Cong. 1st Sess.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

        Resolved, That the following-named Members be, and they are 
    hereby elected members of the standing Committee of the House of 
    Representatives on the District of Columbia, to rank as follows:
        Third, Thomas D'Alesandro, Jr., Maryland.
        Fifth, Sam M. Russell, Texas.
        Sixth, Oren Harris, Arkansas.
        Seventh, F. Edward Hebert, Louisiana.

Electing Members to Vacancies

Sec. 9.8 A resolution electing five Members to individual vacancies on 
    five standing committees was agreed to by the House.

    On July 25, 1963,(9) Speaker John W. McCormack, of 
Massachusetts, recognized Mr. Wilbur D. Mills, of Arkansas, who offered 
a privileged resolution (H. Res. 459) and sought its immediate 
consideration.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 9. 109 Cong. Rec. 13336, 88th Cong. 1st Sess.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The Clerk then read the resolution, as follows:

        Resolved, That the following-named Members be, and they are 
    hereby, elected members of the following standing committees of the 
    House of Representatives:
        Committee on Banking and Currency: Compton I. White, Idaho.
        Committee on House Administration: Lucien N. Nedzi, Michigan.
        Committee on the Judiciary: Don Edwards, California.
        Committee on Post Office and Civil Service: Charles H. Wilson, 
    California.
        Committee on Un-American Activities: George F. Senner, Jr., 
    Arizona.

    Immediately thereafter, the resolution was agreed to.
    Parliamentarian's Note: The vacancies resulted both from res

[[Page 2638]]

ignations accepted by the House and from failure to elect to some of 
the named committees in the first instance up to the total size 
designated in Rule X.

Electing Members of Abolished Committee to Newly Created Committee

Sec. 9.9 The House adopted a privileged resolution electing the sitting 
    majority and minority members of the Committee on Un-American 
    Activities to the newly created Committee on Internal Security and 
    rereferring all bills and other papers pending before the Committee 
    on Un-American Activities to the new committee.

    On Feb. 18, 1969,(10) following the passage 
(11) of a resolution (H. Res. 89) abolishing the Committee 
on Un-American Activities and transferring its jurisdiction, records, 
and property to a new standing committee to be known as the Committee 
on Internal Security, Speaker John W. McCormack, of Massachusetts, 
recognized Wilbur D. Mills, of Arkansas, Chairman of the Democratic 
Committee on Committees, who offered a privileged resolution (H. Res. 
251) (12) which read as follows:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
10. 115 Cong. Rec. 3747, 91st Cong. 1st Sess.
11. Id. at p. 3746.
12. Id. at p. 3747.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

        Resolved, That the following-named Members be, and they are 
    hereby, elected to the standing Committee of the House of 
    Representatives on Internal Security: Richard H. Ichord (chairman), 
    Missouri; Claude Pepper, Florida; Edwin W. Edwards, Louisiana; 
    Richardson Preyer, North Carolina; Louis Stokes, Ohio; John M. 
    Ashbrook, Ohio; Richard L. Roudebush, Indiana; Albert W. Watson, 
    South Carolina; William J. Scherle, Iowa.
        Resolved, That all bills, resolutions, executive 
    communications, petitions and memorials heretofore referred to the 
    Committee on Un-American Activities in the 91st Congress are hereby 
    referred to the Committee on Internal Security.

    The resolution was immediately agreed to.
    Parliamentarian's Note: Both majority and minority party members 
were elected by name (rather than by simply electing the ``sitting 
members of the Committee on Un-American Activities to the Committee on 
Internal Security'') so that their election could be more easily 
certified to a court in case of legal proceedings dealing with the 
committee. This procedure avoided the necessity of referring back to 
the previous resolutions electing them to the Committee on Un-American 
Activities.

[[Page 2639]]

Electing Standing Committee Members to Newly Renamed Committee

Sec. 9.10 The House agreed to a resolution providing that those members 
    elected to the Committee on Expenditures in the Executive 
    Departments were thereby elected, though not individually named, to 
    the Committee on Government Operations, and all documents 
    previously referred to the Committee on Expenditures in the 
    Executive Departments were transferred to the Committee on 
    Government Operations.

    On July 4, 1952,(13) Speaker Sam Rayburn, of Texas, 
recognized Mr. John W. McCormack, of Massachusetts, who offered the 
following privileged resolution (H. Res. 735) and asked for its 
immediate consideration:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
13. 98 Cong. Rec. 9376, 82d Cong. 2d Sess.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

        Resolved, That those Members of the House elected to the 
    Committee on Expenditures in the Executive Departments are hereby 
    elected to the Committee on Government Operations, and all records 
    and papers of the Committee on Expenditures in the Executive 
    Departments are hereby transferred to the Committee on Government 
    Operations.
        That all bills, resolutions, communications, papers, documents, 
    petitions, and memorials heretofore referred to the Committee on 
    Expenditures in the Executive Departments are hereby referred to 
    the Committee on Government Operations.

    Immediately thereafter, the resolution was agreed 
to.(14)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
14. On the preceding day, the name change was effected in the rules; 
        see 98 Cong. Rec. 9217, 82d Cong. 2d Sess., July 3, 1952.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sec. 9.11 The rules were amended to change the name of the Committee on 
    Public Lands to the Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs. The 
    members elected to the Committee on Public Lands were immediately 
    thereafter elected to the Committee on Interior and Insular 
    Affairs, and all papers and documents were to be transferred to the 
    newly named committee.

    On Feb. 2, 1951,(15) the Committee on Public Lands 
became the Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs. The proceedings 
took place, as follows:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
15. 97 Cong. Rec. 883, 884, 82d Cong. 1st Sess.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

        Mr. [John E.] Lyle [Jr., of Texas]: Mr. Speaker, by direction 
    of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 100 and ask 
    for its immediate consideration.
        The Clerk read the resolution, as follows:

[[Page 2640]]

            Resolved, That Clause (a) 14 of rule X of the Rules of the 
        House of Representatives is amended by striking out ``Committee 
        on Public Lands'' and inserting in lieu thereof ``Committee on 
        Interior and Insular Affairs.''
            Clause (1) (n) of rule XI is amended by striking out 
        ``Committee on Public Lands'' and inserting in lieu thereof 
        ``Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs.''
            Clause (2) (a) of rule XI is amended by striking out 
        ``Committee on Public Lands'' where it appears in the said 
        clause and inserting in lieu thereof ``Committee on Interior 
        and Insular Affairs.''
            Clause 1 of rule XII is amended by striking out ``Public 
        Lands'' where it appears in said clause and inserting in lieu 
        thereof ``Interior and Insular Affairs.''. . .

        Mr. [John R.] Murdock [of Arizona]: Mr. Speaker, I offer the 
    following resolution (H. Res. 111) to implement the resolution just 
    adopted, and ask for its immediate consideration.
        The Clerk read the resolution, as follows:

            Resolved, That those Members of the House elected to the 
        Committee on Public Lands are hereby elected to the Committee 
        on Interior and Insular Affairs, and all records and papers of 
        the Committee on Public Lands are hereby transferred to the 
        Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs.
            That all bills, resolutions, communications, papers, 
        documents, petitions, and memorials heretofore referred to the 
        Committee on Public Lands are hereby referred to the Committee 
        on Interior and Insular Affairs.
            The resolution was agreed to.

Electing Incumbent Members for Specified Time for Organizational 
    Purposes

Sec. 9.12 The House adopted three privileged resolutions, offered from 
    the floor by the Chairman of the Democratic Caucus, electing 
    [incumbent] members of the majority to certain committees until 
    Mar. 1, 1973, or until adoption prior to that date of resolutions 
    providing otherwise.

    On Jan. 6, 1973,(16) Olin E. Teague, of Texas, Chairman 
of the Democratic Caucus, offered seriatim three privileged resolutions 
(H. Res. 95, H. Res. 96, H. Res. 97) electing incumbent members of his 
party to three of the House's standing committees with a proviso 
limiting the extent of the members' service. The proviso, identically 
worded in all three resolutions, indicated that the election of the 
Members was valid only ``until March 1, 1973, unless a resolution 
providing otherwise is adopted by the House. . . .''
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
16. 119 Cong. Rec. 380, 93d Cong. 1st Sess.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    House Resolutions 95, 96, and 97--electing Democratic members to 
the Committees on Appropriations, Rules, and House Administration, 
respectively--were all agreed to, immediately.

[[Page 2641]]

    Parliamentarian's Note: These resolutions reflected the policy of 
the Democratic Caucus that it approve of all recommendations submitted 
by its Committee on Committees (which had not then been organized, the 
Ways and Means majority no longer serving as the Democratic Committee 
on Committees in the 93d Congress), yet permitted the named committees 
to be able to transact organizational business at the beginning of the 
session.

Election of Delegate

Sec. 9.13 By privileged resolution, the House elected the Delegate from 
    the District of Columbia to the Committee on the District of 
    Columbia as required by the rules.

    On Apr. 21, 1971,(17) Speaker Carl Albert, of Oklahoma, 
recognized Mr. Wilbur D. Mills, of Arkansas, who offered the following 
privileged resolution (H. Res. 398):
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
17. 117 Cong. Rec. 11151, 92d Cong. 1st Sess.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

        Resolved, That Walter E. Fauntroy, Delegate from the District 
    of Columbia, be, and he is hereby, elected to the standing 
    committee of the House of Representatives on the District of 
    Columbia.

    The resolution was agreed to, immediately.
    Parliamentarian's Note: The rules provide (18) that:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
18. Rule XII clause 2, House Rules and Manual Sec. 740 (1973).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

        The Delegate from the District of Columbia shall be elected to 
    serve as a member of the Committee on the District of Columbia and 
    each Delegate to the House shall be elected to serve on standing 
    committees of the House in the same manner as Members of the House 
    and shall possess in all committees on which he serves the same 
    powers and privileges as the other members.

    The Delegate from the District of Columbia is elected to serve as 
an additional member of the Committee on the District of Columbia. 
Prior to 1975, the rules (19) listed the numerical size of 
every standing committee. If the House chose to increase the size of a 
committee, the Members would adopt a resolution to that effect. In the 
traditional practice, however, the Delegate from the District of 
Columbia was not counted as being among the regular number of members 
on that committee. Accordingly, resolutions electing the Delegate did 
not call for an increase in the number of members on the committee. The 
same principle applied to the election of a Delegate or a Resident 
Commissioner to other committees pursuant to the rules.
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19. See Rule X clauses 1(a)-(u), House Rules and Manual Sec. 670 
        (1973).
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    Whether or not the election of a Delegate or Resident Commis

[[Page 2642]]

sioner affects the party ratios has been a determination made by the 
party organizations (i.e., the Democratic Caucus and the Republican 
Conference) from Congress to Congress.

Election of Majority Leader to Committee

Sec. 9.14 A Member [who was also the Majority Leader] was elected to 
    the Committee on Science and Astronautics.

    On May 15, 1961,(1) following the passage of a 
resolution (H. Res. 289) providing that the Committee on Science and 
Astronautics would be composed of 26 members during the 87th Congress, 
Speaker Sam Rayburn, of Texas, recognized Mr. Wilbur D. Mills, of 
Arkansas, who offered the following privileged resolution (H. Res. 290) 
which read in part:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 1. 107 Cong. Rec. 7965, 87th Cong. 1st Sess.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

        Resolved, That the following-named Members be, and they are 
    hereby, elected members of the following standing committees of the 
    House of Representatives:
        Committee on Science and Astronautics: John W. McCormack, 
    Massachusetts. . . .

    Immediately thereafter, the resolution was agreed to.

Serving on Two or More Committees

Sec. 9.15 The Committee on Rules is considered by the Republican 
    Committee on Committees to be an ``exclusive'' committee; 
    therefore, Republican members of the Committee on Rules are not 
    generally permitted to hold assignments on the other standing 
    committees.

    On Feb. 7, 1966,(2) Speaker John W. McCormack, of 
Massachusetts, laid before the House the following letter of 
resignation:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 2. 112 Cong. Rec. 2383, 2384, 89th Cong. 2d Sess.

                                       House of Representatives,
                              Washington, D. C., February 7, 1966.
        Hon. John W. McCormack,
        Speaker of the House,
        House of Representatives,
        Washington, D.C.

        Dear Mr. Speaker: I herewith tender my resignation as a member 
    of the Committee on Agriculture.
        Having thoroughly enjoyed my work on this committee, I wish to 
    advise the House that this resignation is being submitted in 
    accordance with a decision of our committee on committees that 
    members of the Committee on Rules should not have dual committee 
    assignments.

            Sincerely yours,
                                               Delbert L. Latta,
                                       Representative to Congress.

    Immediately thereafter, the Chair inquired as to whether

[[Page 2643]]

there was any objection, and none being heard, the resignation was 
accepted.

Membership as Retroactive

Sec. 9.16 The House may adopt a resolution electing a Member to a 
    committee retroactively and fixing his rank on such committee 
    accordingly.

    On Nov. 2, 1939,(3) in a special session of Congress, 
Mr. E. C. Gathings, of Arkansas, was elected to membership on the 
Committee on Claims [later to be incorporated into the Committee on the 
Judiciary] .
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 3. 85 Cong. Rec. 1283, 76th Cong. 2d Sess.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

        Mr. [Jere] Coopper [of Tennessee]: Mr. Speaker, I offer the 
    following privileged resolution, which I send to the desk and ask 
    to have read.
        The Clerk read as follows:

                              House Resolution 322

            Resolved, That E. C. Gathings, of Arkansas, be, and he is 
        hereby, elected a member of the standing committee of the House 
        of Representatives on Claims as of June 2, 1939, and shall take 
        rank accordingly.

        The Speaker:(4) The question is on agreeing to the 
    resolution.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 4. William B. Bankhead (Ala.).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

        The resolution was agreed to.

    Parliamentarian's Note: Mr. Gathings had been serving on the 
committee for several months due to a misconception, shared by all 
committee members, that he had already been validly named to that 
committee.