[Deschler's Precedents, Volume 7, Chapters 22 - 25]
[Chapter 25. Appropriation Bills]
[A. Introductory Matters; Authorization of Appropriations]
[Â§ 5. Contingent Fund Expenditures]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]


[Page 5084-5086]
 
                               CHAPTER 25
 
                          Appropriation Bills
 
        A. INTRODUCTORY MATTERS; AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS
 
Sec. 5. Contingent Fund Expenditures

    Money appropriated for the contingent fund of the House is used for 
such miscellaneous purposes as employees salaries or salary increases, 
including those of committee investigative personnel; certain 
allowances (12) housekeeping actions (13) and the 
like. Simple House resolutions, which provide for expenditures from the 
contingent fund, are reported by the Committee on House Administration 
and called up as privileged.(14)
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12. On one occasion, expenses incident to a special session of 
        Congress, including mileage for the Vice President, Senators, 
        and Representatives, and payments to pages, were provided for 
        by appropriations made in a joint resolution. See Sec. 8.21, 
        infra.
13. See Procedure in the U.S. House of Representatives, Ch. 6 
        Sec. Sec. 10-13 (4th ed.).
14. See Sec. 5.1, infra.
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    On occasion, a resolution not formally reported by the Committee on 
House Administration, providing for payment from the contingent fund of 
salaries of in

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vestigative personnel of standing and select committees for a three 
months period (pending adoption of annual committee funding 
resolution), is called up and agreed to by unanimous 
consent.(15)
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15. See Procedure in the U.S. House of Representatives Ch. 25 Sec. 4.4 
        (4th ed.)
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    The Committee on House Administration formerly had authority to fix 
allowances without subsequent House approval. Such authority, except 
for cost of living adjustments, was withdrawn on July 1, 1976, by a 
House resolution thereafter enacted into law. Subsequent House approval 
is presently required for Committee on House Administration orders 
fixing allowances beyond the 94th Congress.(16)
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16.  See Procedure in the U.S. House of Representatives Ch. 25 Sec. 4.5 
        (4th ed.)                          -------------------
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Privileged Resolution

Sec. 5.1 A resolution reported by the Committee on House Administration 
    providing for an expenditure from the contingent fund is called up 
    as privileged.

    On June 16, 1965,(1) a resolution (2) 
authorizing each Member and the Resident Commissioner to employ a 
``summer Congressional Intern'' and permitting payment from the 
contingent fund of amounts required to carry out the resolution, was 
reported by the Committee on House Administration and called up as 
privileged:
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 1. 111 Cong. Rec. 13799, 89th Cong. 1st Sess.
 2. H. Res. 416.
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        Mr. [Samuel N.] Friedel [of Maryland]: Mr. Speaker, by 
    direction of the Committee on House Administration, I call up House 
    Resolution 416, with amendments thereto, and ask for its immediate 
    consideration.
        The Clerk read the resolution, as follows:

                                  H. Res. 416

            Resolved, That (a) notwithstanding any other provision of 
        law, each Member of the House of Representatives and the 
        Resident Commissioner from Puerto Rico are authorized to hire . 
        . . one additional employee. . . . For this purpose each Member 
        of the House of Representatives and the Resident Commissioner 
        from Puerto Rico shall have available for payment to such 
        intern a gross allowance of $750 . . . payable from the 
        contingent fund of the House until otherwise provided by law.

    In response to a parliamentary inquiry, Speaker John W. McCormack, 
of Massachusetts, indicated that such a report, privileged under Rule 
XI, may be called up for consideration on the same day reported, and 
unanimous consent is not required.
    Parliamentarian's Note: Such reports are now subject to the

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three-day layover requirement of Rule XI clause 2(l)(6).

Sec. 5.2 A resolution reported by the Committee on House 
    Administration, providing for payment from the contingent fund of 
    additional compensation for certain positions created by House 
    resolution, was called up as privileged.

    On Aug. 5, 1970,(3) the following proceedings took 
place:
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 3. 116 Cong. Rec. 27449-51, 91st Cong. 2d Sess.
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        Mr. [Wayne L.] Hays [of Ohio]: Mr. Speaker, by direction of the 
    Committee on House Administration, I [call up] a privileged report 
    (Rept. No. 91-1378) on the resolution (H. Res. 1117) relating to 
    the compensation of two positions created by House Resolution 543, 
    89th Congress, and ask for immediate consideration of the 
    resolution.
        The Clerk read the resolution as follows:

                                  H. Res. 1171

            Resolved, That, until otherwise provided by law, effective 
        as of January 1, 1970, the per annum (gross) rate of 
        compensation (basic compensation plus additional compensation 
        authorized by law) of each of the two positions referred to in 
        House Resolution 543, Eighty-ninth Congress, shall not exceed 
        the annual rate of basic pay for level IV of the Executive 
        Schedule of section 5315 of title 5, United States Code. The 
        contingent fund of the House of Representatives is made 
        available to carry out the purposes of this resolution.

        [The resolution was rejected.]

Surplus Contingent Funds

Sec. 5.3 The House agreed to a resolution authorizing the transfer of 
    surplus 1960 contingent funds to liquidate 1962 contingent fund 
    obligations of the House.

    On June 21, 1962,(4) the following proceedings took 
place:
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 4. 108 Cong. Rec. 11314, 87th Cong. 2d Sess.
See also 109 Cong. Rec. 11462, 88th Cong. 1st Sess., June 25, 1963, for 
        a resolution authorizing transfer of surplus 1961 contingent 
        funds to liquidate 1963 contingent fund obligations of the 
        House.
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        Mr. [Samuel N.] Friedel [of Maryland]: Mr. Speaker, by 
    direction of the Committee on House Administration, I call up the 
    resolution (H. Res. 694) authorizing the transfer of certain funds 
    within the contingent fund of the House of Representatives, and ask 
    for its immediate consideration.
        The Clerk read the resolution, as follows:

            Resolved, That such funds as may be necessary to liquidate 
        the 1962 obligations may be transferred, within the contingent 
        fund of the House of Representatives, from ``Miscellaneous 
        Items, 1960'', to ``Special and Select Committees, 1962''.

        The resolution was agreed to.
        A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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