[Senate Report 113-116]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
113th Congress Report
SENATE
1st Session 113-116
======================================================================
AUTHORIZING EXPENDITURES BY COMMITTEES OF THE SENATE
_______
November 5, 2013.--Ordered to be printed
_______
Mr. Schumer, from the Committee on Rules and Administration, submitted
the following
R E P O R T
[To accompany S. Res. 253]
The Committee on Rules and Administration, having
considered an original resolution (S. Res. 253) authorizing
expenditures by committees of the Senate for the periods
October 1, 2013, through September 30, 2014 and October 1,
2014, through February 28, 2015, having considered the same,
reports favorably thereon without amendment and recommends that
the resolution pass.
Chairman's Statement
Since the 101st Congress, the Rules Committee has favorably
re- ported out and the Senate has agreed to an omnibus biennial
committee funding authorization for the standing, special, and
select committees of the Senate.
At the beginning of the 113th Congress, the Rules Committee
reported out S. Res. 64, an omnibus committee funding
resolution for only the 7-month period from March 1, 2013
through September 30, 2013, because of the high level of
uncertainty regarding appropriations available to committees
for the full 2-year period. S. Res. 253 is the funding
authorization for the remainder of the 113th Congress.
Authorizations in S. Res. 253 are based on each committee's
historical and ongoing needs and available appropriations.
During the 1990s, pursuant to Rule XXVII, most committees
allocated their funding two-thirds for the majority and one-
third for the minority. Starting with the 107th Congress,
biennial negotiations over the allocation ratios for committee
funding produced Leadership guidance, which the Rules Committee
used to develop committee budget guidelines. The 109th Congress
Leadership colloquy of January 6, 2005, set a minimum for the
minority of 40 percent of personnel funds after allocations for
non-designated administrative and clerical staff. The minority
leader stated in the colloquy that he hoped never in the future
would it be any lower, no matter which party is in control of
the Senate.
In the 112th Congress, on February 3, 2011, the Leadership
agreed on a new funding approach to be used in the 112th
Congress and stated their intention that it be used in future
Congresses in place of biennial negotiations. That funding
approach is based on the party division of the Senate but
recognizes the majority's need for resources commensurate with
its responsibilities in administering the committee. The
Leadership agreed that 10 percent of the total majority and
minority baseline salary amount, after allocations for non-
designated administrative and clerical staff, would be set
aside for the majority. The remaining 90 percent would be
divided according to the party division of the Senate. For the
113th Congress, the party division for funding purposes is 55
for the majority, 45 for the minority.
Committee office space follows the same approach, with 10
per- cent of the total majority and minority (excluding non-
designated staff) space set aside for the majority, and the
remaining 90 per- cent divided according to the party division
of the Senate. The Leadership colloquy further specified that
regardless of the party division of the Senate, however, the
minority share would never be less than 40 percent, and the
majority would never exceed 60 per- cent including the 10
percent set aside for the majority. When Senate party ratios
change, this approach provides greater stability than the
earlier division of two-thirds for the majority and one- third
for the minority.
The chairman and ranking member of any committee may, by
mutual agreement, modify the apportionment of committee funding
and office space.
The January 24, 2013, Joint Leadership colloquy and letter,
sub- mitted by the majority leader and the minority leader, are
included below for informational purposes.
Colloquy
Mr. Reid. Mr. President, two years ago my friend the
Republican leader and I expressed our intention that the
funding allocation adopted for the 112th Congress would serve
for that and future Congresses. Over the prior 20 years, the
apportionment of committee funding had gone from a straight
two-thirds for majority and one-third for minority during the
1990s, regardless of the size of the majority and minority, to
biennial negotiations during the past decade. The new funding
allocation for Senate committees was based on the party
division of the Senate, with 10 percent of the total majority
and minority salary baseline going to the majority for
administrative expenses. However, regardless of the party
division of the Senate, the minority share of the majority and
minority salary baseline will never be less than 40 percent,
and the majority share will never exceed 60 percent. This
approach met our needs for the last Congress, and I would like
to see it continue.
Mr. McConnell. Mr. President, I, too, would like to
continue this approach for the 113th and future Congresses. It
serves the interest of the Senate and the public by helping to
retain core committee staff with institutional knowledge,
regardless of which party is in the majority. We made a
transition in the last Congress to restore special reserves to
its historic purpose, but appropriations cuts prevented special
reserves from being funded. To the extent possible, we should
try to fund special reserves in order to be able to assist
committees that face urgent, unanticipated, non-recurring
needs. We know that we will continue to face tight budgets for
the foreseeable future, and we have to bring funding
authorizations more in line with our actual resources while
ensuring that committees are able to fulfill their
responsibilities. I look forward to continuing to work with my
friend the majority leader to accomplish this.
Mr. Reid. I thank my friend, the Republican leader, and ask
unanimous consent that a joint leadership letter be printed in
the Record.
Joint Leadership Letter
We mutually commit to the following for the 113th Congress:
The budgets of the committees of the Senate, including
joint and special committees, and all other subgroups, shall be
apportioned to reflect the ratio of the Senate as of this date,
including an additional ten percent (10%) from the majority and
minority salary baseline to be allocated to the chairman for
administrative expenses, to be determined by the Rules
Committee.
Special Reserves has been restored to its historic purpose.
Requests for funding will only be considered when submitted by
a committee chairman and ranking member for unanticipated, non-
recurring needs. Such requests shall be granted only upon the
approval of the chairman and ranking member of the Rules
Committee.
Funds for committee expenses shall be available to each
chairman consistent with Senate rules and practices of the
112th Congress.
The chairman and ranking member of any committee may, by
mutual agreement, modify the apportionment of committee funding
and office space.
The division of committee office space shall be
commensurate with this funding agreement.
Background
Beginning in the 106th Congress, the biennial committee
funding cycle was divided into three segments: the 7-month
period from March 1 through September 30 of the first calendar
year of the Congress; the 12-month period from October 1 of the
first calendar year through September 30 of the second calendar
year; and the 5- month period from October 1 of the second
calendar year through the last day of February of the third
calendar year.
For the 113th Congress, S. Res. 64, which passed the Senate
on March 5, 2013, authorized committee funding for the 7-month
period. S. Res. 253 authorizes committee funding for the 12-
month period from October 1, 2013 through September 30, 2014
and the 5-month period from October 1, 2014 through February
28, 2015.
S. Res. 253 was reported in lieu of Senate Resolutions 223,
224, 230, 231, 232, 234, 235, 236, 237, 238, 239, 241, 243,
244, 245, 249, and 250, which were reported by the Senate
committees in conformance with paragraph 9 of Rule XXVI of the
Standing Rules of the Senate and referred to the Committee on
Rules and Administration. An original resolution, S. Res. 229,
authorizing expenditures by the Committee on Rules and
Administration, is on the Senate calendar (Order No. 189), and
is obviated by passage of S. Res. 253, since funding for the
Rules Committee's expenditures in the 113th Congress is
included in the omnibus funding resolution.
There are no amounts authorized for COLAs in the 113th
Congress for fiscal years 2014 and 2015. Therefore, committees
were advised not to include COLAs in their budgets.
As stated in the Joint Leadership letter, the special
reserves fund is being restored to its historic purpose.
Requests for funding from special reserves will be considered
only when submitted by a committee chairman and ranking member
for unanticipated, non- recurring needs and to the extent that
appropriated funds are available for special reserves. The
request must be approved by the chairman and ranking member of
the Rules Committee.
All committees funded by S. Res. 253, except for the Select
Committee on Intelligence, submitted budgets and questionnaires
that conformed to the guidelines. The Select Committee on
Intelligence reported S. Res. 245 above guidelines for the 12-
month period and for the 5-month period.
For the 113th Congress, the Rules Committee prepared an
original funding resolution incorporating a budget amount at
the guidelines level for every committee included in the
resolution. The Senate passed S. Res. 253, on October 3, 2013,
by unanimous consent and without amendment.
TEXT OF S. RES. 253
Sec. 1. Aggregate Authorization
(a) In General.--For purposes of carrying out the powers,
duties, and functions under the Standing Rules of the Senate,
and under the appropriate authorizing resolutions of the Senate
there is authorized for the period October 1, 2013, through
September 30, 2014, in the aggregate of $98,087,800, and for
the period October 1, 2014, through February 28, 2015, in the
aggregate of $40,869,917, in accordance with the provisions of
this resolution, for standing committees of the Senate, the
Special Committee on Aging, the Select Committee on
Intelligence, and the Committee on Indian Affairs.
Sec. 2. Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry
------------------------------------------------------------------------
FY 2014 FY 2015 (5
(12 mths) mths)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Salary Baseline............................... $3,833,451 $1,457,270
2014 COLA..................................... ........... ...........
2015 COLA..................................... ........... ...........
Consultants................................... 200,000 200,000
Training...................................... 40,000 40,000
Official Mail................................. 2,626 1,096
Administrative Expenses....................... 105,013 43,755
-------------------------
Budget Authority 113th Congress............... 4,181,090 1,742,121
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sec. 3. Committee on Armed Services
------------------------------------------------------------------------
FY 2014 FY 2015 (5
(12 mths) mths)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Salary Baseline............................... $6,241,188 $2,586,103
2014 COLA..................................... ........... ...........
2015 COLA..................................... ........... ...........
Consultants................................... 80,000 50,000
Training...................................... 30,000 30,000
Official Mail................................. 3,000 1,200
Administrative Expenses....................... 66,940 8,167
-------------------------
Budget Authority 113th Congress............... 6,421,128 2,675,470
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sec. 4. Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs
------------------------------------------------------------------------
FY 2014 FY 2015 (5
(12 mths) mths)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Salary Baseline............................... $5,167,496 $2,153,123
2014 COLA..................................... ........... ...........
2015 COLA..................................... ........... ...........
Consultants................................... 14,348 5,978
Training...................................... 861 359
Official Mail................................. 1,720 717
Administrative Expenses....................... 108,731 45,305
-------------------------
Budget Authority 113th Congress............... 5,293,156 2,205,482
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sec. 5. Committee on the Budget
------------------------------------------------------------------------
FY 2014 FY 2015 (5
(12 mths) mths)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Salary Baseline............................... $5,826,177 $2,427,574
2014 COLA..................................... ........... ...........
2015 COLA..................................... ........... ...........
Consultants................................... 0 0
Training...................................... 0 0
Official Mail................................. 1,000 1,000
Administrative Expenses....................... 170,600 70,500
-------------------------
Budget Authority 113th Congress............... 5,997,777 2,499,074
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sec. 6. Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
------------------------------------------------------------------------
FY 2014 FY 2015 (5
(12 mths) mths)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Salary Baseline............................... $6,412,197 $2,671,749
2014 COLA..................................... ........... ...........
2015 COLA..................................... ........... ...........
Consultants................................... 0 0
Training...................................... 0 0
Official Mail................................. 20,455 8,523
Administrative Expenses....................... 150,939 62,891
-------------------------
Budget Authority 113th Congress............... 6,583,591 2,743,163
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sec. 7. Committee on Energy and Natural Resources
------------------------------------------------------------------------
FY 2014 FY 2015 (5
(12 mths) mths)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Salary Baseline............................... $5,330,979 $2,221,241
2014 COLA..................................... ........... ...........
2015 COLA..................................... ........... ...........
Consultants................................... 0 0
Training...................................... 0 0
Official Mail................................. 15,649 6,520
Administrative Expenses....................... 116,853 48,689
-------------------------
Budget Authority 113th Congress............... 5,463,481 2,276,450
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sec. 8. Committee on Environment and Public Works
------------------------------------------------------------------------
FY 2014 FY 2015 (5
(12 mths) mths)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Salary Baseline............................... $4,994,762 $2,081,151
2014 COLA..................................... ........... ...........
2015 COLA..................................... ........... ...........
Consultants................................... 8,000 3,333
Training...................................... 2,000 834
Official Mail................................. 14,427 6,011
Administrative Expenses....................... 175,064 72,943
-------------------------
Budget Authority 113th Congress............... 5,194,253 2,164,272
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sec. 9. Committee on Finance
------------------------------------------------------------------------
FY 2014 FY 2015 (5
(12 mths) mths)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Salary Baseline............................... $7,777,304 $3,240,544
2014 COLA..................................... ........... ...........
2015 COLA..................................... ........... ...........
Consultants................................... 30,000 12,500
Training...................................... 10,000 4,167
Official Mail................................. 17,965 7,485
Administrative Expenses....................... 158,667 66,111
-------------------------
Budget Authority 113th Congress............... 7,993,936 3,330,807
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sec. 10. Committee on Foreign Relations
------------------------------------------------------------------------
FY 2014 FY 2015 (5
(12 mths) mths)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Salary Baseline............................... $6,444,742 $2,685,309
2014 COLA..................................... ........... ...........
2015 COLA..................................... ........... ...........
Consultants................................... 0 0
Training...................................... 0 0
Official Mail................................. 16,080 6,700
Administrative Expenses....................... 138,800 57,833
-------------------------
Budget Authority 113th Congress............... 6,599,622 2,749,842
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sec. 11. Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
------------------------------------------------------------------------
FY 2014 FY 2015 (5
(12 mths) mths)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Salary Baseline............................... $8,398,735 $3,499,473
2014 COLA..................................... ........... ...........
2015 COLA..................................... ........... ...........
Consultants................................... 75,000 75,000
Training...................................... 25,000 25,000
Official Mail................................. 15,000 3,000
Administrative Expenses....................... 150,200 7,500
-------------------------
Budget Authority 113th Congress............... 8,663,935 3,609,973
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sec. 12. Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
------------------------------------------------------------------------
FY 2014 FY 2015 (5
(12 mths) mths)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Salary Baseline............................... $9,304,849 $3,877,020
2014 COLA..................................... ........... ...........
2015 COLA..................................... ........... ...........
Consultants................................... 0 0
Training...................................... 0 0
Official Mail................................. 21,570 8,988
Administrative Expenses....................... 162,533 67,722
-------------------------
Budget Authority 113th Congress............... 9,488,952 3,953,730
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sec. 13. Committee on the Judiciary
------------------------------------------------------------------------
FY 2014 FY 2015 (5
(12 mths) mths)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Salary Baseline............................... $9,136,247 $3,806,769
2014 COLA..................................... ........... ...........
2015 COLA..................................... ........... ...........
Consultants................................... 0 0
Training...................................... 0 0
Official Mail................................. 23,577 9,824
Administrative Expenses....................... 108,069 45,029
-------------------------
Budget Authority 113th Congress............... 9,267,893 3,861,622
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sec. 14. Committee on Rules and Administration
------------------------------------------------------------------------
FY 2014 FY 2015 (5
(12 mths) mths)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Salary Baseline............................... $2,302,470 $959,363
2014 COLA..................................... ........... ...........
2015 COLA..................................... ........... ...........
Consultants................................... 0 0
Training...................................... 0 0
Official Mail................................. 7,944 3,310
Administrative Expenses....................... 24,329 10,137
-------------------------
Budget Authority 113th Congress............... 2,334,743 972,810
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sec. 15. Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship
------------------------------------------------------------------------
FY 2014 FY 2015 (5
(12 mths) mths)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Salary Baseline............................... $2,484,891 $1,035,373
2014 COLA..................................... ........... ...........
2015 COLA..................................... ........... ...........
Consultants................................... 0 0
Training...................................... 0 0
Official Mail................................. 6,434 2,681
Administrative Expenses....................... 89,694 37,370
-------------------------
Budget Authority 113th Congress............... 2,581,019 1,075,424
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sec. 16. Committee on Veterans' Affairs
------------------------------------------------------------------------
FY 2014 FY 2015 (5
(12 mths) mths)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Salary Baseline............................... $1,952,717 $813,632
2014 COLA..................................... ........... ...........
2015 COLA..................................... ........... ...........
Consultants................................... 50,000 21,000
Training...................................... 9,500 3,500
Official Mail................................. 500 500
Administrative Expenses....................... 165,400 68,917
-------------------------
Budget Authority 113th Congress............... 2,178,117 907,549
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sec. 17. Special Committee on Aging
------------------------------------------------------------------------
FY 2014 FY 2015 (5
(12 mths) mths)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Salary Baseline............................... $2,087,189 $871,368
2014 COLA..................................... ........... ...........
2015 COLA..................................... ........... ...........
Consultants................................... 0 0
Training...................................... 10,000 4,000
Official Mail................................. 5,142 2,142
Administrative Expenses....................... 273,046 112,230
-------------------------
Budget Authority 113th Congress............... 2,375,377 989,740
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sec. 18. Select Committee on Intelligence
------------------------------------------------------------------------
FY 2014 FY 2015 (5
(12 mths) mths)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Salary Baseline............................... $5,344,275 $2,226,781
2014 COLA..................................... ........... ...........
2015 COLA..................................... ........... ...........
Consultants................................... 17,144 7,144
Training...................................... 0 0
Official Mail................................. 12,543 5,226
Administrative Expenses....................... 86,000 35,833
-------------------------
Budget Authority 113th Congress............... 5,459,962 2,274,984
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sec. 19. Committee on Indian Affairs
------------------------------------------------------------------------
FY 2014 FY 2015 (5
(12 mths) mths)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Salary Baseline............................... $1,881,729 $784,053
2014 COLA..................................... ........... ...........
2015 COLA..................................... ........... ...........
Consultants................................... 20,000 20,000
Training...................................... 20,000 20,000
Official Mail................................. 6,786 2,828
Administrative Expenses....................... 81,253 10,522
-------------------------
Budget Authority 113th Congress............... 2,009,768 837,403
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Overtime
Committees have been advised that any overtime costs
mandated by the Congressional Accountability Act must be
absorbed within salary baselines funded in S. Res. 253.
Cost-of-Living Adjustments
There are no amounts authorized for COLAs in the 113th
Congress for fiscal years 2014 and 2015. Therefore, committees
were advised not to include COLAs in their budgets. It is the
intent of the Rules Committee that amounts for COLAs shall only
be available to the extent they are authorized by the order of
the President pro tempore of the Senate pursuant to 2 U.S.C.
section 60a091, and provided sufficient funds are appropriated
to pay for such expenses.
Certification of Committee Expenses
Vouchers are not required for certain types of official
expenses which instead are certified as owed to Senate support
agencies pro- viding such goods and services to Senate
committees. Examples of certifiable expenses include, but are
not limited to, telecommunications, stationery supplies,
official mail, and expenses for Senate recording and
photographic services. The certified expenses are submitted by
the Senate support agencies to the Rules Committee for
approval.
Printing and Binding
Committee expenditures for printing and binding include the
costs of preparation and publishing of documents in electronic
and/ or print format by GPO personnel. Although printing and
binding funds are not included in individual committee budgets,
the Committee on Rules and Administration advises all
committees to be judicious in the use of these funds.
The Committee reminds all Senate committees to adhere
strictly to the provisions of Title 44 governing the printing
and binding of documents.
A committee may not procure more than 300 copies of a
hearing or other relevant documents except as authorized by 44
U.S.C. 703. Section 703 provides that extra copies not
exceeding $700 in cost may be obtained upon an order of the
Joint Committee on Printing; extra copies at a cost of $700 to
$1,200 must be authorized by simple resolution of the Senate;
and a cost exceeding $1,200 requires approval of both houses of
Congress by concurrent or joint resolution. Such resolutions
requesting printing are referred to the Committee on Rules and
Administration.
``Extra copies'' means additional numbers ordered at the
time of original printing. Reprinting a document at a later
time must be treated as a new publication.
The Rules Committee encourages committees to reduce costs
associated with GPO detailees while still receiving the
services and support they need. Effective with the 113th
Congress, committees wishing to obtain or continue the services
of a GPO detailee are required to obtain prior approval in
writing from the Committee on Rules and Administration. No
detailee shall be approved for more than one year.
Every effort should be made to control costs by limiting
the over- time of detailees. Committees that incur overtime
charges on a recurring basis are advised to evaluate their
printing operation and minimize a printer's overtime except on
a temporary basis when the extraordinary cost can be justified
by the need for timely delivery of the committee's legislative
papers.
Employees Detailed From Other Agencies
Sections 2 through 19 of the omnibus resolution include
specific authorizing language on the use of detailed employees
on either a reimbursable or non-reimbursable basis. This
language, which has been included in biennial funding
resolutions since 1989, continues the practice of permitting
the detail or assignment of personnel from departments or
agencies of the Federal government to the staff of a committee
with or without reimbursement of that person's salary.
Pursuant to Standing Rule XXVII, paragraph 4,
``No committee shall appoint to its staff any experts or
other personnel detailed or assigned from any department or
agency of the Government, except with the written per-mission
of the Committee on Rules and Administration.''
The Committee on Rules and Administration may monitor
expenditures associated with the use of detailed employees in
order to evaluate overall committee spending.
Special Reserves
This resolution authorizes a special reserve account within
the appropriations account, ``Expenses of Inquiries and
Investigations,'' for the period October 1, 2013 through
February 28, 2015.
When biennial funding cycles began in 1989, the Rules
Committee authorized the use of unexpended funds from one
authorization to the next. The Committee in 1991 informed all
Senate committees in Senate Report 1020915, and during the
debate on S. Res. 62 (102nd Congress), that committees could
retain 50 percent of their funds unexpended as of February 28,
1993, to cover non-recurring needs that enhanced efficiency in
the committee. When S. Res. 71, the omnibus committee funding
resolution for the 103rd Congress, was considered by the
Senate, it was amended to contain language that no committee of
the Senate was permitted to carry forward unexpended balances
beyond March 1, 1995. While S. Res. 54 (105th Congress) did not
permit committees to carry forward funds, it did continue to
provide a special reserve into which the unexpended balances of
the committees were transferred, after obligations incurred
during the prior funding period were paid.
In order to preserve the flexibility of the Committee on
Rules and Administration to meet the unforeseen needs of Senate
committees, S. Res. 253 continues the practice of making
special reserves funding available for unanticipated, non-
recurring needs of committees when necessary. Subject to
available appropriations, special reserves may be available on
the basis of special need to meet unpaid obligations incurred
by a committee during the 113th Congress. A request for special
reserve funding will be considered only when submitted by the
chairman and ranking member of a committee. Such request shall
be granted upon the approval of the chairman and ranking member
of the Committee on Rules and Administration.
In the colloquy of January 12, 2007, the Senate Leadership
agreed for the 110th Congress that, under the circumstances of
a continuing resolution for FY 07, to provide each ranking
member, if requested, an allocation equal to 49 percent of the
10 percent administrative funds that were available to the
committee chairman in the 109th Congress. A total of $4,794,387
was requested and authorized in the 110th Congress to fulfill
the colloquy. This funding was added to the budget baselines of
the respective committees for the 111th Congress.
In the Joint Leadership letter of January 15, 2009, the
Leader- ship agreed that for the 111th Congress, 89 percent of
special re- serves would be available to each chair/ranking
member for administrative expenses, if requested, to be
allocated at a 60 percent to 40 percent ratio, majority/
minority respectively. This allowed individual minority
committee funding levels to remain unchanged, if special
reserves were requested. Therefore, no committee budget was
allocated to reduce the minority committee budget below that of
FY 08.
The special reserves fund for the 111th Congress was almost
entirely dedicated to fulfilling the guidance of the Joint
Leadership letter and colloquy of January 15, 2009. Therefore,
contrary to circumstances in previous Congresses, the Rules
Committee had little flexibility with regard to additional
requests from the special re-serves fund. The Rules Committee
determined that an additional five percent of special reserves
may have been required to satisfy the intent of the colloquy
and authorized use of those funds.
In the 111th Congress, S. Res. 73, which was agreed to on
March 10, 2009, provided special reserves to be available to
meet unpaid obligations which a committee may incur above the
amount authorized.
In FY 09, for the period March 1, 2009, through September
30, 2009, $4,375,000 was originally made available. However,
under the Leadership colloquy of January 15, 2009, $4,132,668
or 94 percent of the special reserves for FY 09 was committed
from these funds to supplement the original authorization
provided to each committee by each section of S. Res. 73,
leaving $242,332 in available funds for any committee to
request.
On May 20, 2009, the Committee on the Judiciary wrote to
the chair and ranking member of the Rules Committee and
requested $600,000 to meet the unanticipated expenses it
expected to incur following the announcement that Justice David
Souter was resigning from the Supreme Court. This required the
passage of S. Res. 152, agreed to May 19, 2009, which amended
section 20(a)(1) of S. Res. 73 and increased by $500,000 to
$4,875,000 the amount of special reserves available in FY 09.
On May 21, 2009, the chairman and ranking member of the Rules
Committee approved the request from the Judiciary Committee.
On April 23, 2010, the Committee on the Judiciary again
wrote to the Rules Committee and requested $300,000 to meet the
unanticipated expenses it expected to incur following the
announcement that Justice John Paul Stevens was retiring from
the Supreme Court. Sufficient funds were available for FY 10
and on April 29, 2010, the chairman and ranking member of the
Rules Committee approved the request from the Judiciary
Committee.
In the 112th Congress, no requests were granted for special
re- serves.
In the first seven months of the 113th Congress, no
requests were granted for special reserves.
Legislative Report by Senate Committees
Rule XXVI, section 8b of the Standing Rules of the Senate
requires that, in each odd-numbered year, each committee shall
submit to the Senate, not later than March 31st, a report on
the activities of that committee during the Congress ending at
noon on January 3rd of such year.
Policy on Committee Work and Housing for Committee Staff
Pursuant to each committee's authorizing resolution, funds
are made available from the Contingent Fund of the Senate to
assist a committee in carrying out its powers, duties, and
functions under the Standing Rules of the Senate. These
responsibilities include holding hearings, reporting such
hearings, and making investigations as authorized by paragraphs
1 and 8 of Rule XXVI of the Standing Rules of the Senate.
Therefore, committee staff may not engage in work other than
committee business.
In addition, it remains the policy of the Rules Committee
that all staff paid by committee funds will be housed in
committee space. Space allocations will be strictly tied to
authorized committee staff and detailed employees approved by
the Committee on Rules and Administration.
Consultants
S. Res. 253 specifies the funding available for committees
to hire consultants, as otherwise authorized by statute.
Committee Legislative Assistance
It is the position of the Committee on Rules and
Administration that funds are already incorporated into
Members' personal office accounts for the purpose of providing
legislative assistance with committee duties.
The legislative assistance allowance was established in the
94th Congress by passage of S. Res. 60, agreed to on June 12,
1975. It authorized each Senator serving on a committee to hire
staff to assist with committee work. This new authorization was
preserved and continued in S. Res. 4 in the 95th Congress, when
the Senate reorganized the committee system by passing
amendments to the Standing Rules of the Senate regarding the
jurisdiction and size of committees.
Later in the 95th Congress, the legislative assistance
allowance was made permanent and codified into law by section
111 of P.L. 950994. This provision, as amended by P.L. 10009137
and P.L. 10209392, currently provides funding for three
positions in each Senator's office at an annual rate of
$171,315 each for a total of $513,945 per office, or
$51,394,500 for all 100 Senators in FY 13. These funds may be
adjusted each fiscal year by the authorized cost of living
adjustment for Senate offices by the order of the President pro
tempore.
Archiving
Under Senate Rule XXVI(10)(a) and 2 U.S.C. 72(a)(d),
committee records are the property of the Senate. At the end of
each Congress, non-current committee records are transferred to
the Archives in accordance with Senate Rule XI(1) and 44 U.S.C.
2118. To ensure the preservation of the Senate's permanently
valuable records, the Rules Committee requests that each
committee submit to the Rules Committee their National Archives
Records Transfer Report. It is recommended that committees
consult with the Senate Archivist on the proper preparation of
electronic and paper records for permanent archive storage.