Committee Funding for the House and Senate, 108th Congress

Publication Date: May 2003

Publisher: Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

Author(s):

Research Area: Banking and finance; Government

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Abstract:

House rules require action to approve resolutions providing funds for committee operations by the end of March 2003. Because of unforeseen delays in completing action on the committee funding resolution, the House has twice (H.Res. 163, adopted March 26, 2003, and H.Res. 185, adopted April 9, 2003) agreed to short term extensions of 107th Congress committee funding levels. Funding authority has now been extended up through May 9, 2003. Relatedly, the Emergency Wartime Supplemental Appropriations Act, FY2003 (P.L. 108-11, signed April 18, 2003) provides $11 million to the House Select Committee on Homeland Security to fund its operations through December 2004. On May 6, 2003, the House Administration Committee reported H.Res. 148, an omnibus funding resolution, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute providing 108th Congress funds for all House committees, except for the Appropriations and Homeland Security Committees. The House agreed to a unanimous consent request to make H.Res. 148 in order at any time on May 7, with the stipulation that the committee amendment be considered as adopted and that the resolution be debated for one hour equally divided and controlled.

Under House Rules, funds for committees (except for the Appropriations Committee) are to be approved by March 31 of the first session of each new Congress. In early March 2003, the House Administration Committee began to consider budget requests from House Committees. Previously, on February 13, 2003, the House took up by unanimous consent H.Res. 77, providing interim funding from January 3, 2003 to March 31, 2003 for the newly established House Select Committee on Homeland Security. (Committees funded in the 107th Congress are authorized to spend at the same monthly rate until House action on the 108th Congress funding resolution. H.Res. 163, agreed to on March 26, 2003, continued committee funds through April 11, 2003. On April 9, 2003, the House approved H.Res. 185, continuing that funding authority up through May 9, 2003.) As in previous Congresses, a major concern in the House committee funding process will be assuring that the minority party members on each committee have at least onethird of the committee's staff and funds. There is also concern about rising committee costs since 1995, when the House cut its committee staff size by one-third.

The Senate adopted ad hoc procedures in approving committee operating budgets. With the Senate divided 51-48-1 at the beginning of the 108th Congress, Senate Democrats argued for a proportional allocation of committee staff between the parties. On January 15, a unanimous consent agreement was reached providing for the proportional allocation of staff and office space between the parties on each committee, with a separate provision for each committee chair to control up to 10% of the committee budget to employ administrative staff serving both parties. Thereafter, Senate Rules and Administration Committee consideration of committee funding requests was routine, and the Senate agreed on February 28, 2003, to S.Res. 66, authorizing funds for Senate committees through February 2005.