Full Committee Organizational Meeting

Committee on House Administration

2025-01-23

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Source: Congress.gov

Summary

The Committee on House Administration convened its organizational meeting for the 119th Congress, chaired by Bryan Steil and with the participation of Ranking Member Joseph D. Morelle.[ 00:08:47-00:09:36 ] The meeting included welcoming new and returning members, reviewing the committee's past achievements, and outlining key priorities for the upcoming term.[ 00:09:36-00:12:36 ] Several resolutions concerning committee operations and appointments were considered and passed.

Themes

  • Welcome and Committee Structure Chairman Bryan Steil welcomed both returning and new members to the Committee on House Administration for the 119th Congress, specifically mentioning Congresswomen Mary Miller and Julie Johnson.[ 00:09:36-00:11:47 ] Ranking Member Joseph D. Morelle echoed these welcomes and acknowledged past members while also greeting Ms. Johnson, highlighting her early appointment to a leadership committee. The committee formally appointed subcommittee chairs, including Laurel Lee for Elections and Stephanie Bice for Modernization and Innovation, alongside their respective ranking members, Terry Sewell and Norma Torres.

  • Review of 118th Congress and Future Priorities Chairman Steil highlighted the committee's productivity during the 118th Congress, citing 39 hearings on various issues like legislative oversight, election integrity, modernization, and artificial intelligence, and the successful, non-partisan passage of the COCO Act.[ 00:11:53-00:12:36 ]

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     He emphasized ongoing efforts to strengthen election integrity, increase public confidence, enhance legislative branch efficiency, and improve campus security.[ 00:12:54-00:13:40 ]

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     Ranking Member Morelle agreed that the previous Congress was productive, noting bipartisan achievements despite disagreements, and expressed eagerness to continue this cooperative relationship.

  • Key Areas of Focus: Elections, Security, and Technology Both leaders stressed the importance of election integrity, with Mr. Steil aiming to strengthen election laws and Mr. Morelle emphasizing the duty to protect American democracy and ensure free and fair ballots for all citizens.[ 00:13:01-00:13:10 ]

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     The committee also plans to focus on campus security, ensuring the Capitol is safe and accessible, and on supporting the mental health and training of the Capitol Police.[ 00:13:19-00:13:40 ]

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     Additionally, the use and advancement of artificial intelligence were identified as critical areas, with a commitment to responsibly expand AI use while protecting data and training staff on potential dangers.[ 00:12:10-00:12:10 ]

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     Mr. Morelle also expressed concern regarding recent actions impacting January 6th felons and urged immediate committee action.

  • Operational Resolutions and Procedural Protections The committee considered and passed eight resolutions en bloc, covering rules, subcommittee appointments, parking policy, anti-harassment and anti-discrimination policies, employee rights, the REAP program, and the COGO handbook. Ranking Member Morelle voiced support for these resolutions but also advocated for procedural protections for the minority, specifically requesting timely submission of witness testimony and bipartisan consultation before issuing subpoenas.[ 00:19:31-00:20:38 ]

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     These suggestions were aimed at fostering robust debate and judicious use of congressional power.[ 00:20:00-00:20:30 ]

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Tone of the Meeting

The meeting maintained a largely collaborative and respectful tone, characterized by mutual congratulations and acknowledgments of past bipartisan successes.[ 00:09:36-00:09:41 ] [ 00:12:36 ]

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 Both Chairman Steil and Ranking Member Morelle expressed commitment to continued cooperation for the 119th Congress.[ 00:13:43 ]

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 While some differences were acknowledged, particularly concerning procedural protections and specific threats like those related to January 6th felons, these were raised in a constructive manner, framed as suggestions for improvement.[ 00:19:31-00:20:38 ]

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 Lighthearted banter about football added moments of levity to the proceedings.[ 00:11:12-00:11:27 ]

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Participants

Transcript

Norma, like Stephanie, and like me.
All right, the Committee on House Administration will come to order.  I note that a quorum is present without objection.  The chair is authorized to declare recess at any time.  Today, I want to welcome all of you to the Committee on House Administration's organizational meeting for the 119th Congress.  I'd like to welcome back my friend and colleague, ranking member, Mr. Morelle, and my Democratic colleagues.  I'm excited to continue to work   with all of you.  Also welcome back our Republican colleagues, Mr. Barry Loudermilk, Mr. Morgan Griffith, Congressman Greg Murphy, Congresswoman Stephanie Bice, Congressman Mike Kerry, and Congresswoman Laura Lee.  Thank you for all your hard work at the past Congress and look forward to the hard work that is coming ahead during the next two years on the 119th.  I would also like to welcome our new members, Congresswoman Mary Miller of Illinois,   and Congresswoman Julie Johnson from Texas.  Ms.  Miller from Illinois has been a friend and a strong supporter of common-sense election integrity measures that will strengthen our election laws and increase confidence in our elections.  And we're excited, Ms.  Miller, that you're able and willing to join our committee and look forward to your work in particular as it relates to election integrity during this Congress.   Ms.  Julie Johnson from Texas, we just had a conversation about the rivalry between the Texas and Dallas Cowboys and the Green Bay Packers.  And with today's weather, I'm reminded, of course, of the 1967 Ice Bowl, which we both might be reminded that the Green Bay Packers defeated the Dallas Cowboys 21-17.   on a frigid day, but we look forward to your participation in the hearing as well.  We welcome both of you to the committee.  The committee and House administration was incredibly productive last Congress, during the 118th Congress.  We held 39 full committee and subcommittee hearings last Congress.   on issues including legislative oversight, election integrity, legislative branch modernization, artificial intelligence capabilities, and other topics.  We passed the COCO Act in a nonpartisan fashion, got it signed into law, ensuring congressional election observers are able to fairly and accurately observe elections across the country.
I'm proud of what we've been able to accomplish as a committee.  However, our work is far from over.  We still have more we can do to strengthen our election integrity   and increase Americans' confidence in our elections.  We'll continue working to make the legislative branch more cost-effective and efficient.  Most importantly, we'll continue to enhance   We'll continue to enhance our campus security to ensure the Capitol is safe and accessible for all Americans.  I look forward to working alongside my colleagues to ensure a successful and productive 119th Congress.  As I said, our work is just beginning.  I'll now recognize the ranking member, Mr. Morelle, for five minutes for the purpose of offering an opening statement.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.   first congratulations on your reappointment as chair of the house administration committee grateful to you for all your work and thanks for calling this meeting so we can formally begin the process and the important work of this committee so today we'll consider a I'm not sure if it's a number of or if we compiled them all into a single resolution but I know that are critical to the operation of the house I guess we're gonna take them all up perhaps as one vote all the resolutions but   before we get to that I want to officially thank and welcome all of my colleagues back to the committee miss Miller welcome and it's great to have you join us and I do want to also acknowledge representative Terry Sewell and representative Norma Torres are two members who are   served in the past.  Ms.  Sewell, of course, from Alabama, and Ms.  Torres from California, who sadly, I think, as Ms.  Bice is at the Appropriations Committee, but is excited to continue and wanna make sure that we particularly keep our thoughts and prayers for the people in California where Ms.  Torres represents.  As subcommittee leaders on our side, both Ms.  Sewell and Torres serve this committee with integrity and distinction last Congress, and I look forward to working   with both of them i also want to welcome on our side day a fellow former state legislator miss johnson who served in the state house in in texas and welcome her both to the house of representatives and certainly to to our committee i think it's   It's rare on our side that a first-term member gets appointed to a leadership committee, but I think it speaks to Julie's experience and judgment that Leader Jeffries has asked her to serve with us so early in her tenure.  The 118th Congress was productive for this committee, and I thank you, Mr. Chairman, for that.  While we had our disagreements, some more entrenched perhaps than others, we also delivered bipartisan wins for the House and for the American people.

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