[House Hearing, 108 Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
ORGANIZATIONAL MEETING OF THE
JOINT COMMITTEE ON PRINTING
=======================================================================
ORGANIZATIONAL MEETING
before the
JOINT COMMITTEE ON PRINTING
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
ONE HUNDRED EIGHTH CONGRESS
FIRST SESSION
__________
HEARING HELD IN WASHINGTON, DC, APRIL 9, 2003
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Printed for the use of the Committee on House Administration
89-052 U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE
WASHINGTON : 2003
____________________________________________________________________________
For Sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office
Internet: bookstore.gpr.gov Phone: toll free (866) 512-1800; (202) 512�091800
Fax: (202) 512�092250 Mail: Stop SSOP, Washington, DC 20402�090001
JOINT COMMITTEE ON PRINTING
HOUSE SENATE
ROBERT W. NEY, Ohio, Chairman SAXBY CHAMBLISS, Georgia,
Vice Chairman
JOHN T. DOOLITTLE, California MARK DAYTON, Minnesota,
Ranking Member
JOHN LINDER, Georgia DANIEL K. INOUYE, Hawaii
JOHN B. LARSON, Connecticut THAD COCHRAN, Mississippi
ROBERT A. BRADY, Pennsylvania GORDON SMITH, Oregon
ORGANIZATIONAL MEETING
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 9, 2003
House of Representatives,
U.S. Senate,
Joint Committee on Printing,
Washington, DC.
The joint committee met, pursuant to call, at 4 p.m., in
Room H-139, the Capitol, Hon. Robert W. Ney [chairman of the
joint committee] presiding.
Representatives Present: Representatives Ney, Linder,
Larson, and Brady.
Senators Present: Senators Chambliss, Smith, and Dayton.
Mr. Ney. The committee will come to order. I want to thank
everybody in advance for their flexibility and cooperation in
planning and preparing for this meeting.
Today the Joint Committee on Printing is holding its first
meeting of the 108th Congress to welcome all members to the
committee, to announce the chairman, vice chairman and ranking
member, and finally to adopt our committee rules for the 108th
Congress.
As the chairman, pursuant to House Resolution 134 and
Senate Resolution 84, I would like to welcome all of the
distinguished members of the committee for this Congress:
Senator Saxby Chambliss of Georgia, Senator Cochran of
Mississippi, Senator Gordon Smith is here of Oregon, Senator
Dayton is coming from Minnesota, Senator Inouye of Hawaii,
Congressman Doolittle of California, Congressman Linder of
Georgia; our ranking member, Congressman Larson of Connecticut,
and Congressman Brady is here from Pennsylvania. Many of us
have already had an opportunity to discuss our expectations for
what I think will be a very productive Congress. I think we all
look forward to working together on a lot of important issues.
I am also very encouraged by the enthusiasm of our new
public printer, Bruce James, with whom I have had the
opportunity to meet with personally and discuss many of the
issues facing him as he works with us to bring necessary
improvements that I think we have waited quite a while for at
that agency.
During the 108th Congress, there are going to be many
issues for the joint committee to review, including the
constitutional challenges of Title 44. Currently, the General
Accounting Office is studying this matter. I look forward to
reviewing their findings. Also I have confidence in Mr. James
to continue conversations with Mr. Mitch Daniels, Director of
the Office of Management and Budget, working to reach an
agreement regarding this issue.
Furthermore, I would like to thank Senator Dayton and his
staff for all their hard work in the last Congress on the
proposed revisions to the government printing and binding
regulations issued by this joint committee. Working with the
Interagency Council on Printing and Publications Services, the
proposed revisions include updates to reflect the technological
advancements in printing that have occurred over the last 10
years. Also changing the regulations to guidelines meets the
needs of the agencies by providing useful guidance in their
printing efforts while addressing the constitutional issues. I
will continue to work with all of you to monitor these issues
as they surface throughout this Congress.
The Joint Committee on Printing was statutorily established
in 1846. The principal purpose of the joint committee is to
oversee the functions of the Government Printing Office and
general printing procedures of the Federal Government. Senator
Chambliss is now here. Welcome.
The authority vested in the Joint Committee on Printing is
derived from Title 44 of the U.S. Code, and the committee is
hereby responsible for ensuring compliance by Federal entities
to these laws and the government printing and binding
regulations.
The distinguished Chair of the Senate Rules and
Administration Committee, Senator Lott, has designated another
member of the Rules Committee to serve in his place as member
and vice chairman pursuant to S. Con. Res. 20. With passage of
this concurrent resolution, it is my pleasure to announce
Senator Chambliss as the new Vice Chair of the Joint Committee
on Printing. We all wanted to wait on you, but Mr. Linder
overrode us to begin without you. He did it to you in the House
and he is doing it to you now that you are in the Senate.
In addition, when both bodies are controlled by the same
party, the senior member of the minority party named to the
Joint Committee on Printing in the House of Congress opposite
that of the chair shall be the ranking minority member of the
joint committee. Therefore, I would like to announce Senator
Dayton as the ranking minority member of the Joint Committee on
Printing.
Finally, I would like to let the members know the Office of
Photography is here to take a photograph of the members who are
present after the meeting adjourns. I want to thank you and
welcome you to the JCP.
I will recognize the Vice Chair for any remarks he may
have.
Senator Chambliss. I just asked my scout if she had my long
opening statement. I don't have any. I am pleased to have my
good friend Gordon Smith here with me. We look forward to
working with you, Bob.
Senator Smith. I want to know what Saxby is going to do
with all this power, though.
Mr. Ney. We will have you take it national.
At this time, I would like to recognize the distinguished
ranking member, Senator Dayton, but he has not arrived yet.
We would like to adopt the committee rules. The Chair lays
before the committee a resolution adopting the committee rules
for the Joint Committee on Printing for the 108th Congress. I
do want to thank our vice chairman and ranking member and their
staff for working on these issues. No changes were made, I
would note, to the committee rules for this Congress. I believe
there is agreement. Is there any discussion?
Senator Chambliss. Mr. Chairman, I move that the resolution
adopting the committee rules for the 108th Congress be
approved.
Mr. Ney. The question is on the motion. All those in favor
say aye. Those opposed will say nay. The ayes have it. The
motion is agreed to and the committee rules are approved.
Does anyone else care to make any statements?
Senator Smith. Here is our ranking member.
Mr. Larson. I would defer to Senator Dayton.
Mr. Ney. Senator Dayton, would you like to say anything?
Senator Dayton. I am sorry to be late, Mr. Chairman.
Mr. Ney. I would like to praise you for the record for your
great work.
Senator Dayton. It took me two months to get a quorum, and
you have got one in less than 10 minutes. Impressive.
Mr. Ney. I was offering free steak dinners.
Senator Dayton. Obviously, this is in much better hands in
2 years than before. Thanks.
Mr. Ney. Anyone else?
Mr. Larson. Mr. Chairman, I would only add that Mr. Brady
and myself are looking forward to working with you and the
entire committee. Hailing from the State of Connecticut where
the general assembly meets in joint committee all the time
between the House and Senate, this is a welcome addition and an
honor to serve here. As you pointed out, this has been a
committee since 1846, it has been established. I share with you
the concern about making sure that we work with Mr. James, whom
we have met with to focus on resolution 44 that we find to be
very onerous and hope that agreement can be reached along those
lines. I am especially delighted to see one of our own make it
to the rarefied atmosphere of the United States Senate and look
forward to working with Saxby as well.
Mr. Ney. Anyone else?
Senator Chambliss. My colleague said a step up. Some would
say it is a step down.
Mr. Ney. Anyone else? I have just a few technical things.
I now wish to ask unanimous consent that members have 7
legislative days to submit material into the record, and for
those statements and materials to be entered into the
appropriate place in the record. Without objection, the
material will be entered.
I also ask unanimous consent that the staff be authorized
to make technical and conforming changes to all matters
affecting our committee at today's meeting. If there is no
objection, it is so ordered.
That will complete our agenda of business. I certainly do
thank you.
[Whereupon, at 4:15 p.m., the joint committee was
adjourned.]