[House Hearing, 113 Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
ORGANIZATIONAL MEETING FOR THE 113TH CONGRESS
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MEETING
BEFORE THE
COMMITTEE ON HOUSE
ADMINISTRATION
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
ONE HUNDRED THIRTEENTH CONGRESS
FIRST SESSION
__________
HELD IN WASHINGTON, DC, FEBRUARY 5, 2013
__________
Printed for the use of the Committee on House Administration
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COMMITTEE ON HOUSE ADMINISTRATION
CANDICE S. MILLER, Michigan, Chairman
GREGG HARPER, Mississippi ROBERT A. BRADY, Pennsylvania,
PHIL GINGREY, M.D., Georgia Ranking Minority Member
AARON SCHOCK, Illinois ZOE LOFGREN, California
TODD ROKITA, Indiana JUAN VARGAS, California
RICHARD B. NUGENT, Florida
Professional Staff
Kelly Craven, Staff Director
Jamie Fleet, Minority Staff Director
ORGANIZATIONAL MEETING FOR THE 113TH CONGRESS
----------
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
House of Representatives,
Committee on House Administration,
Washington, DC.
The committee met, pursuant to call, at 3:00 p.m., in Room
1310, Longworth House Office Building, Hon. Candice S. Miller
[chairman of the committee] presiding.
Present: Representatives Miller, Harper, Nugent, Rokita,
Gingrey, Brady, and Vargas.
Staff Present: Kelly Craven, Staff Director; Peter
Schalestock, Deputy General Counsel; Kimani Little,
Parliamentarian; Joe Wallace, Legislative Clerk; Yael Barash,
Assistant Legislative Clerk; Salley Wood, Communications
Director & Deputy Staff Director; Linda Ulrich, Director of
Oversight; Bob Sensenbrenner, Elections Counsel; Karin Moore,
Elections Counsel; Phil Kiko, Counsel; Jamie Fleet, Minority
Staff Director; Matt Pinkus, Minority Senior Policy Analyst;
Matt Defreitas, Minority Professional Staff; Khalil Abboud,
Minority Elections Staff; Thomas Hicks, Minority Elections
Counsel; Mike Harrison, Minority Professional Staff; and Greg
Abbott, Minority Professional Staff.
The Chairman. I would like to call to order the Committee
on House Administration for its organizational meeting for the
113th Congress. We are here today to formally adopt for the
113th Congress the rules of our committee, our oversight plan,
and the parking policy as well for this Congress, and let me
just begin by thanking everybody for their attendance here
today. I am delighted to see you all and certainly for all of
our retiring members or, excuse me, our returning members, I
think that the entire Congress thanks you for your service on
this committee, your dedication to the mission of this
committee, which is ensuring that Congress runs in a very
efficient way, cost-effective way, a transparent way, and that
as well we need to optimize member services for Members of
Congress as they serve their constituents and serve our Nation.
As well this committee has a principal jurisdiction, one that
serves to protect and promote the very core of our democracy,
which of course includes oversight of our Federal elections
process.
This is a small committee but a very important committee.
The leadership of both parties do recognize that, so it is an
honor to serve with each of you. Of course, we have all been
selected by our respective leadership because of the unique
qualifications that each member here brings, and I think with
all the different types of responsibilities and jurisdiction
that this committee has, we have an opportunity to have an
impact in a very real way, in a way that other Members of
Congress might not have, so certainly I think that is so in
both the short term as well as the long term, and I think we
are all excited about that.
So let me just briefly recognize the members on our side as
we begin our organizational meeting. First of all, Gregg
Harper, who represents Mississippi's 3rd District, third term
in Congress, and his third term on the committee, so three is
your lucky number I would say. But he has been very involved in
this committee on a number of different issues. Last Congress
he served as the chair of the Subcommittee on Elections. This
Congress Mr. Harper has agreed to serve as the chairman on the
Joint Committee on the Library of Congress, and we are
certainly looking forward to his leadership on that and so many
other issues as well.
Dr. Phil, Dr. Phil Gingrey represents the 11th District of
Georgia. We came into Congress together, we all called him Dr.
Phil, we still do. Beginning, as I say, his sixth term in
Congress and second on this committee. During the last Congress
he served as the chair of the Subcommittee on Oversight, and
again we look forward to his continued work on making a
positive impact on Washington and with this committee.
Mr. Gingrey. Thank you, Madam Chair.
The Chairman. Aaron Schock, who is not with us currently
but again returning to the committee, has been the chairperson
of the Franking Commission. He will continue to do that, and he
has worked in a very bipartisan way on this committee, and we
are looking forward to him continuing to advance those goals.
Todd Rokita, former secretary of state, as was myself, Todd
represents the 4th District in Indiana, second term in the
House. He was actually a president of the National Association
of Secretaries of State at one time, and I think when we think
about that as an organization and having them continue as
stakeholders, ground floor stakeholders, as they say, on
election issues, that will be a particularly great expertise to
bring as well, so I think between Gregg and Todd we have really
good expertise on election area.
And Rich Nugent comes from the 5th District of Florida,
second term in the House and on this committee, was a law
enforcement officer for 40 years, and not a gray hair to be had
with all of those years of law enforcement, but he will be
invaluable particularly as we think about security on the
campus and working with the Capitol Police and so many other
issues as well.
So I am delighted to have been appointed by Speaker Boehner
on this committee. I actually served on this committee in the
109th Congress. Speaker Hastert had appointed me at that time.
So I have a bit of an understanding of some of the various
things that happen on this committee, but I hope that my
background as a former secretary of state and all of my jobs
actually in public service were administrative in nature before
I came to Congress, so the legislative part was new for me
then, but I am very excited about the work. I spent most of the
last 2 months having an opportunity to meet with the various
professional staff that is here, and I use that term in a very
descriptive way. They are incredibly professional, the staff on
this committee, the amount of work that they produce. Going
through the new members orientation, I know you can speak to
that, but so many of the different things that they are
involved with, the House officers, whether it is the Sergeant
of Arms, the Clerk of the House, et cetera, and meeting with
the CRS, the Smithsonian. I met today actually with the
printing office, the printers, all of these kinds of things. It
is great to see the dedication, the commitment, again how
professionally they approach their jobs and how we all want to
do a better job as we go forward. As well, Ranking Member Brady
and I have had a number of conversations about the committee
and his vision, and I think good communications is always a
critical component of good government and look forward to
working with him.
I will say that one of the things that--and we are going to
be addressing here with the rules as we do the rules, I think a
way for our committee really to take a lead on being sensitive
to the financial restrictions that are being faced by the
entire Congress certainly is as we look toward ourselves is
whether or not we ought to continue with the subcommittees as
have been stood up for the last couple of Congresses. Actually
we didn't have subcommittees when I was here in the 109th. I
know they were stood up during the interim time, and they have
been a very important component of this committee, but as I
have talked to everybody, I think, about this, we have decided
to lead by example and to eliminate the two subcommittees that
we have. Again, I think with such a small committee structure,
we can definitely show that we can do more with less by doing
that. I think a number of issues can be addressed. Certainly
the elections, bringing it to the full committee, and engaging
all of the members I think is a very good way to proceed and I
think from an oversight committee different things that Phil
Gingrey has worked on in the past with his subcommittee, we are
looking forward to him taking a lead on a number of those
issues, bringing them back to the full committee for potential
hearings, et cetera.
So I look forward to a very productive Congress, and I
would just simply say to the members that you will find that my
door is certainly always open to ideas and suggestions as we go
forward, and with that I would like to ask the ranking member
for his opening statements.
Mr. Brady. Thank you, Madam Chair. I appreciate, and again
I thank you and appreciate all our conversations that we did
have. I welcome you back to our committee. I am a little closer
to you now. Last time you were pretty far away from me, but it
is good to have you here, and I appreciate you conversing with
me on the direction you would like this to go and accepting
some of my feedback, and I know that we will be able to work
together. This is a committee that tries to help people, you
know, and that is what I like to do. I like to help them before
they need other people's help or guidance, and it is a
Congressman's committee, you know. It is a committee that we
are here to try to be helpful to work things out, so I do
appreciate you being here and looking forward to working with
you.
I would also like to welcome in our newest Democratic
member, Congressman Juan Vargas from California, thank you. A
former city councilman, State Assembly member, State senator,
Mr. Vargas is no stranger to the legislative process or
institutions. As a Harvard-trained lawyer--and I will not hold
that against you--Mr. Vargas will certainly be useful to all
members of the committee as we work through the rules and
regulations that this committee is involved in as well as the
details of election and campaign finance laws, and I am also
glad that you agreed to serve on this committee, and welcome
you, and we will get together, you know, I will let you know
just what is expected and what this committee's role is and
what direction we would like it to go into. So, again, thank
you for being here.
Madam Chairman, our organization meetings are brief, so let
me say that I recommend that the Democratic members support the
three resolutions before us today. The committee rules,
oversight plan, and parking policy have been developed with our
input, and we should adopt them without delay. I look forward
to the important work of this committee, and I yield back the
balance of my time, and I again congratulate you.
The Chairman. Thank you very much, I appreciate that and
again welcome to you. We look forward to working with you as
well. So much for as a new member.
The first item on the agenda is consideration of Committee
Resolution 113-1, which is the proposed committee rules for the
113th Congress. Pursuant to House rule XI, clause 2, the
Committee on House Administration shall adopt written rules
governing its procedure. The proposed rules are similar to the
rules adopted by this committee during the last Congress. They
conform with recent changes to the House rules as amended in
this Congress. Overall I think these changes provide for
greater transparency in the operation of the committee. I hope
the members will support them.
I now recognize the ranking member, Mr. Brady, for any
statement on the resolution he wishes to give.
Mr. Brady. Thank you, Madam Chairman. I have no statement.
The Chairman. I now call before the committee Committee
Resolution 113-1, committee rules. Without objection, the first
reading of the resolution is dispensed with, and the resolution
is considered read and open for amendment at any point.
[The resolution follows:]
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The Chairman. Any member like to offer an amendment to the
resolution?
Then I move that the committee adopt the Committee
Resolution. The question is on the motion to adopt the
resolution. I ask that all members who are in favor of the
motion signify by saying aye.
Aye.
Opposed?
In the opinion of the chair, the ayes have it. The ayes
have it, the motion is agreed to. Without objection, the motion
to reconsider is laid upon the table.
Next item on the agenda is consideration of Committee
Resolution 113-2, which is the committee oversight plan. Rule
X, clause 2(d) of the House rules states that no later than
February 15th of the first session of Congress the committee
shall adopt an oversight plan for that Congress. The oversight
plan will focus on identifying and reducing wasteful spending
within House operations by increasing operational efficiency
and streamlining various House technology initiatives. The
committee will also work with the agencies it has direct
oversight of by establishing best practices to improve their
services to the House community as well as the millions of
constituents visiting each year.
I recognize ranking member Mr. Brady, for a statement on
the resolution.
Mr. Brady. Thank you, Madam Chairman. I have no statement.
The Chairman. I now call up and lay before the committee
Committee Resolution 113-2. Without objection, the first
reading of the resolution is dispensed with, and the resolution
is considered read and open for amendment at any point.
[The resolution follows:]
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The Chairman. I recognize myself for the purpose of
offering a manager's amendment. A copy of the amendment has
been provided to all members, and without objection the
amendment will be considered as read.
[The amendment follows:]
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The Chairman. Any member wish to be heard on the amendment?
If there is no further debate, then the question is on
whether the committee will adopt the amendment.
All those in favor signify by saying aye.
Aye.
Opposed say nay.
Motion carried.
Now I move that the committee adopt the Committee
Resolution as amended, and the question is on the motion to
adopt the resolution.
All members in favor signify by saying aye.
Aye.
Opposed say nay.
The motion carried.
I don't want you to think every meeting will be like this.
Mr. Brady. He will get use to it.
The Chairman. Okay. The last item on the agenda is the
Committee Resolution 113-3, the parking policy for the 113th
Congress. Pursuant to House rule X, clause 1, the Committee on
House Administration has jurisdiction over the parking
facilities used by members, staff, and authorized personnel of
the House of Representatives. The parking policy for this
Congress was created in consultation with the minority, and I
want to thank the minority for their suggestions and the
bipartisan work on the parking policy, and I certainly want to
thank House parking security for working with the committee in
developing the policy.
I recognize the ranking member, Mr. Brady, for any
statement on the resolution.
Mr. Brady. I have none, Madam Chairman.
The Chairman. I now call up and lay before the committee
Committee Resolution 113-3. Without objection, the first
reading of the resolution is dispensed with. The resolution is
considered read and open for amendment at any point.
[The resolution follows:]
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The Chairman. Does any member have an amendment to the
resolution? Then I move the committee adopt the Committee
Resolution, and the question is on the motion to adopt the
resolution.
All members in favor signify by saying aye.
Aye.
Opposed say nay.
Motion carried.
Without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid upon
the table.
And before we can conclude, I guess I would just ask any
other member if they have any comments about any business
before the committee or any business they would like to see
before the committee or any other comment.
Okay. This concludes all the matters before the committee.
I certainly want to thank everybody for participating. Again,
look forward to working with you all this Congress.
The meeting is now adjourned.
[Whereupon, at 3:13 p.m., the committee was adjourned.]