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Pursuant to House Rule X, clause 6, the House Administration Committee reports an omnibus,
biennial “primary expense resolution” to cover the expenses of each standing and select
committee (except the Appropriations Committee). The resolution is based in part on committee
requests for funds to cover necessary expenses for the two years of a Congress. On March 8,
2007, the House adopted H.Res. 202, providing for the expenses of certain committees of the
House of Representatives in the 110th Congress by a vote of 269 to 150.
This report summarizes requests from individual committees and funding levels reported by the
Committee on House Administration, and compares 110th Congress-authorized levels to
authorizations for House committees in the 109th Congress. CRS Report RL32794,
House
Committee Funding Requests and Authorizations, 104th-110th Congresses, by R. Eric Petersen,
provides historical and analytical data on funding requests and authorizations for House
committees since 1995.
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ursuant to House Rule X, clause 6, the House Administration Committee reports an
omnibus, biennial “primary expense resolution” to cover the expenses of each standing and
P select committee (except the Appropriations Committee1). The resolution is based in part
on committee requests for funds to cover their necessary expenses for the two years of a
Congress. On March 8, 2007, the House adopted H.Res. 202, providing for the expenses of
certain committees of the House of Representatives in the 110th Congress by a vote of 269 to 150.
On March 7, 2007, the Committee on Rules met to consider a rule governing House debate on
H.Res. 202. Under the rule,2 an amendment to H.Res. 202, creating a Select Committee on
Energy Independence and Global Warming, and specifying the panel’s composition, jurisdiction,
procedure, funding, and termination date, is to be considered to be automatically adopted.3
On March 1, 2007, the Committee on House Administration met to mark up H.Res. 202.
Representative Juanita Millender-McDonald, who is chairwoman of the panel, offered an
amendment in the nature of a substitute to the measure, which was adopted by voice vote. The
panel then reported H.Res. 202, as amended, to the House by voice vote.
The Committee on House Administration held a hearing on committee expense requests on
February 28, 2007. Representative Millender-McDonald indicated that, under the provisions of a
year-long continuing resolution funding FY2007 House operations at FY2006 levels, plus an
increase for inflation, most panel budgets would likely receive authorizations for increases of not
more than 2.4% over funding levels authorized for the second session of the 109th Congress. She
said that if more funding becomes available in FY2008, the committee might revisit
authorizations for the second session.4
During the hearings the chairwoman and the ranking minority member, Representative Vernon
Ehlers, reiterated the longstanding expectation that committee resources would reflect a
distribution of 2/3 of committee staff to the majority, and 1/3 to the minority, and a similar
distribution of non-staff resources.5 In their testimony, most committee chairs and ranking
1 P.L. 79-601, Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946, Section 202(b), 60 Stat. 834, grants the Committee on
Appropriations authorization to appropriate funds for its own activities.
2 H.Res. 219, Providing for consideration of the resolution (H.Res. 202) providing for the expenses of certain
committees of the House of Representatives in the One Hundred Tenth Congress, reported by the Committee on Rules,
March 7, 2007.
3 The text of the amendment creating the new select committee is available in the report to accompany H.Res. 219. See
U.S. House,
Providing for Consideration of the Resolution (H.Res. 202) Providing for the Expenses of Certain
Committees of the House of Representatives in the One Hundred Tenth Congress, H.Rept. 110-034, 110th Cong., 1st
sess., March 7, 2007 (Washington: GPO, 2007), pp. 3-4.
4 Oral comments of Representative Juanita Millender-McDonald at the hearing of the Committee on House
Administration on committee funding, February 28, 2007.
5 Between 1995 and 2005, House majority leadership encouraged its committee leaders to provide the minority with
one-third of committee staff and resources authorized in the biennial funding resolutions. Statements made by leaders
of the House Administration Committee at the beginning of its committee funding review for the 107th Congress, and
reaffirmed at the beginning of the 108th Congress, indicated a consensus that all House committees should provide at
least one-third minority staffing in those Congresses. In the 109th Congress, the 2/3-1/3 distribution of staff was
reaffirmed by the chair and ranking member of the Committee on House Administration, but some testimony by
ranking members urged provision of 1/3 of non-staff resources to the minority. In addition, some questions regarding
the extent of control the minority might exercise over those resources were raised. In its report to accompany H.Res.
224 (109th Congress),the Committee on House Administration said that it “feels it is the prerogative of the Chairman to
maintain control over the committee budget, as the chairman is ultimately responsible for all expenditures obligated by
the committee.” In the course of the February 28, 2007, hearings on committee funding, Chairwoman Millender-
(continued...)
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members acknowledged mutually satisfactory arrangements had been reached regarding the
distribution of committee staff and other expenses.6
Table 1 summarizes requests from individual committees and funding levels authorized by the
House for the 110th Congress.
Table 2 compares authorized levels for the 110th and 109th
Congresses.7 CRS Report RL32794,
House Committee Funding Requests and Authorizations,
104th-110th Congresses, by R. Eric Petersen, provides historical and analytical data on funding
requests and authorizations for House committees since 1995.
(...continued)
McDonald orally affirmed the policy establishing the chair as the official with ultimate responsibility for committee
resources.
See Gabriel Kahn, “Panels Ask Oversight to Slash Own Budgets,”
Roll Call, February 27, 1995; Juliet Eilperin and
Gabriel Kahn, “House’s Chief Officer Unveils ‘Dream Team,
Roll Call, March 9, 1995, retrieved through nexis.com;
U.S. House, Committee on House Administration,
Hearing on Committee Funding Requests, 108th Cong., 1st sess.
(Washington: GPO, 2003), p. 2-3, available at http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname
=108_house_hearings&docid=f:89055.pdf; U.S. House, Committee on House Administration,
Committee Funding,
109th Cong., 1st sess. (Washington: GPO, 2005), pp. 4-6, 41-47, and 64-75, http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/
getdoc.cgi?dbname=109_house_hearings&docid=f:20927.pdf; U.S. House,
Providing for the Expenses of Certain
Committees of the House of Representatives in the One Hundred Ninth Congress, H.Rept. 109-54, 109th Cong., 1st
sess., April 26, 2005 (Washington: GPO, 2005), quote, p. 7, available at http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/
getdoc.cgi?dbname=109_cong_reports&docid=f:hr054.109.pdf].
6 In his written opening statement, Representative Ehlers noted that “adjustments to the 2/3-1/3 budget allocation have
been made in the past, for instance through the use of shared staff, or a centrally managed budget for non-personnel
expenditures.” See Committee on House Administration, Republican Office, “Opening Statement of Ranking Member
Vernon J. Ehlers,” February 28, 2007. In their testimony, some committee chairs and ranking members indicated that
they had reached agreement for a strict 2/3-1/3 distribution of resources while others acknowledged mutually agreeable
alternatives that provided the minority with resources for staff and other expenses.
7 In the 109th Congress, the Committee on Education and Labor was known as the Committee on Education and the
Workforce; the Committee on Foreign Affairs was known as the Committee on International Relations; the Committee
on Oversight and Government Reform was known as the Committee on Government Reform; and the Committee on
Science and Technology was known as the Committee on Science.
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Table 1. House Committee Funding Requests, and Authorized Levels, 110th Congress
Requested
Approved
Difference Between
Requested & Approved
Committee
Total
1st Session 2nd Session
Total
1st Session 2nd Session Amount
% of
Request
Agriculture
$12,398,755 $5,954,462 $6,444,293 $11,995,306 $5,910,765 $6,084,541 -$403,449 -3.25%
Armed
Services
$15,469,004 $6,883,959 $8,585,045 $14,618,946 $7,203,581 $7,415,366 -$850,058 -5.50%
Budget
$12,026,478 $6,013,239 $6,013,239 $12,520,064 $6,169,343 $6,350,721 $493,586 4.10%
Education and Labor
$16,334,250 $8,025,500
$8,308,750 $16,213,840 $7,989,475
$8,224,365
-$120,410
-0.74%
Energy and Commerce
$22,474,614 $11,013,668 $11,460,946 $21,056,249 $10,375,603 $10,680,646
-$1,418,365
-6.31%
Financial
Services
$16,575,710 $8,029,517 $8,546,193 $16,189,138 $7,977,303 $8,211,835 -$386,572 -2.33%
Foreign
Affairs
$17,953,805 $8,762,228 $9,191,577 $17,391,504 $8,569,776 $8,821,728 -$562,301 -3.13%
Homeland
Security
$16,511,877 $8,132,028 $8,379,849 $16,448,403 $8,105,057 $8,343,346 -$63,474 -0.38%
House
Administration
$10,214,461 $5,033,242 $5,181,219 $10,214,461 $5,033,242 $5,181,219
$0 0.00%
Judiciary
$16,657,587 $8,165,484 $8,492,103 $16,347,324 $8,055,250 $8,292,074 -$310,263 -1.86%
Natural
Resources
$15,581,951 $7,638,213 $7,943,738 $15,288,192 $7,533,355 $7,754,836 -$293,759 -1.89%
Oversight and Government Reform
$22,876,214 $10,790,667 $12,085,547 $21,602,950 $10,644,994 $10,957,956
-$1,273,264
-5.57%
Rules
$6,781,540 $3,357,198 $3,424,342 $6,852,908 $3,376,815 $3,476,093 $71,368 1.05%
Science and Technology
$13,209,820 $6,475,402
$6,734,418 $12,963,775 $6,387,984
$6,575,791
-$246,045
-1.86%
Small
Business
$6,257,410 $3,009,086 $3,248,324 $5,965,945 $2,939,758 $3,026,187 -$291,465 -4.66%
Standards of Official Conduct
$6,119,301 $2,996,561
$3,122,740
$4,994,181 $2,460,915
$2,533,266
-$1,125,120
-18.39%
Transportation
and
Infrastructure
$19,724,511 $9,528,749 $10,195,762 $19,261,795 $9,491,374 $9,770,421 -$462,716 -2.35%
Veterans’
Affairs
$6,933,319 $3,398,686 $3,534,633 $7,076,347 $3,486,916 $3,589,431 $143,028 2.06%
Ways and Means
$20,059,514 $9,785,129 $10,274,385 $19,040,609 $9,382,384
$9,658,226
-$1,018,905
-5.08%
Permanent Select Intelligence
$10,409,000 $5,077,000
$5,332,000 $10,467,084 $5,157,724
$5,309,361
$58,086
0.56%
Select Energy Independence and Global Warming
—
—
—
$3,725,467 $1,666,667
$2,058,800
—
—
Source: Data taken from individual committee funding resolutions introduced in the House for the 110th Congress and from H.Res. 202, as adopted by the House. U.S.
House, Providing for the Expenses of Certain Committees of the House of Representatives in the One Hundred Tenth Congress, H.Rept. 110-29, 110th Cong., 1st sess., March 3, 2007
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(Washington: GPO, 2007), p. 5. As shown on p. 5 of the committee report, the totals reported for individual committees do not always exactly equal the sum of the
amounts reported for each session.
Table 2. House Committee Funding Authorizations, 109th and 110th Congresses, Nominal Dollars
109th Congress
110th Congress
Difference between
109th &110th Cong
Committee
Approved 1st Session 2nd Session Reported 1st Session 2nd Session Amount
%
Agriculture
$11,257,009 $5,495,805 $5,761,204 $11,995,306
$5,910,765
$6,084,541
$738,297 6.56%
Armed Services
$12,826,208 $6,292,249 $6,533,959 $14,618,946
$7,203,581
$7,415,366 $1,792,738 13.98%
Budget
$12,026,478 $6,013,239 $6,013,239 $12,520,064
$6,169,343
$6,350,721
$493,586
4.10%
Education and Labor
$15,493,286 $7,705,970 $7,787,316 $16,213,840
$7,989,475
$8,224,365
$720,554 4.65%
Energy and Commerce
$19,925,687 $9,812,619 $10,113,068 $21,056,249 $10,375,603 $10,680,646 $1,130,562
5.67%
Financial Services
$15,203,100 $7,427,648 $7,775,452 $16,189,138
$7,977,303
$8,211,835
$986,038 6.49%
Foreign Affairs
$16,299,018 $7,946,084 $8,352,934 $17,391,504
$8,569,776
$8,821,728 $1,092,486 6.70%
Homeland Security
$14,000,000 $6,100,026 $7,899,974 $16,448,403
$8,105,057
$8,343,346 $2,448,403 17.49%
House Administration
$9,554,568 $4,648,683 $4,905,885 $10,214,461
$5,033,242
$5,181,219
$659,893 6.91%
Judiciary
$15,312,992 $7,461,565 $7,851,427 $16,347,324
$8,055,250
$8,292,074 $1,034,332
6.75%
Natural Resources
$14,520,962 $7,178,224 $7,342,738 $15,288,192
$7,533,355
$7,754,836
$767,230 5.28%
Oversight and Government Reform
$20,497,085 $10,121,443 $10,375,642 $21,602,950 $10,644,994 $10,957,956 $1,105,865
5.40%
Rules
$6,365,600 $3,074,229 $3,291,371 $6,852,908
$3,376,815
$3,476,093
$487,308 7.66%
Science and Technology
$12,327,996 $6,101,648 $6,226,348 $12,963,775
$6,387,984
$6,575,791
$635,779
5.16%
Small Business
$5,586,973 $2,721,600 $2,865,373 $5,965,945
$2,939,758
$3,026,187
$378,972
6.78%
Standards of Official Conduct
$4,290,536 $1,891,890 $2,398,646 $4,994,181
$2,460,915
$2,533,266
$703,645 16.40%
Transportation and Infrastructure
$18,108,082 $8,856,869 $9,251,213 $19,261,795
$9,491,374
$9,770,421 $1,153,713
6.37%
Veterans’ Affairs
$6,474,418 $3,075,732 $3,398,686 $7,076,347
$3,486,916
$3,589,431
$601,929
9.30%
Ways and Means
$17,819,494 $8,674,514 $9,144,980 $19,040,610
$9,382,384
$9,658,226 $1,221,116
6.85%
Permanent Select Intelligence
$9,527,870 $4,500,653 $5,027,217 $10,467,084
$5,157,724
$5,309,361
$939,214
9.86%
Select Energy Independence and Global Warming
—
—
—
$3,725,467
$1,666,667
$2,058,800
—
—
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Source: Data taken from H.Res. 224, 109th Congress; and H.Res. 202, 110th Congress, as adopted by the House. U.S. House, Providing for the Expenses of Certain Committees
of the House of Representatives in the One Hundred Tenth Congress, H.Rept. 110-29, 110th Cong., 1st sess., March 3, 2007 (Washington: GPO, 2007), p. 5. As shown on p. 5 of
the committee report, the totals reported for individual committees do not always exactly equal the sum of the amounts reported for each session. In the 109th Congress,
the Committee on Education and Labor was known as the Committee on Education and the Workforce; the Committee on Foreign Affairs was known as the Committee
on International Relations; the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform was known as the Committee on Government Reform; and the Committee on Science
and Technology was known as the Committee on Science.
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R. Eric Petersen
Analyst in American National Government
epetersen@crs.loc.gov, 7-0643
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