Committee on House Administration Full Committee Markup
Committee on House Administration
2025-02-25
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Source: Congress.gov
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Transcript
The Committee on House Administration will come to order. I note that a quorum is present as Mr. Murphy arrives. Without objection, the Chair is authorized to declare a recess at any time. Today, the Committee on House Administration will consider the Committee's Oversight Plan for the 119th Congress. The Committee's jurisdiction includes house operations, capital security, and legislative branch oversight. Our goals for the 119th Congress are to improve member and campus security, and increase legislative branch independence, capacity, and efficiency. Our goals include cutting costs, eliminating burdensome regulations, and promoting American ingenuity across the legislative branch. We know this is an ambitious agenda. But the committee is ready to get to work and provide robust oversight of the legislative branch. Ensuring the safety and security of our visitors, staff, and members on our campus is a top priority. In recent months, we've seen several critical breaches that have raised concerns in the community about the Capitol Police, access to campus, and the responding to threats. We've also seen threats to members off campus through instances of swatting and cybersecurity threats. And the 119th Congress will continue our efforts to mitigate threats as well as direct the House Sergeant-at-Arms to conduct a comprehensive review of House security. In addition, the committee remains committed to providing the House with the resources needed to serve the American people effectively. This requires us to empower legislative branch inspectors general to pursue efforts to detect waste, fraud, and abuse while holding agencies accountable to implement outstanding recommendations. We'll also encourage the use of emerging technologies to assist offices. By doing this, we can equip offices with tools to provide services effectively and efficiently. As stewards of the people's house, we must take steps to detect waste, fraud, and abuse while eliminating burdensome regulations. Many of the regulations, systems, and processes that govern the house have been in place for decades.
These regulations do not receive proper attention or consideration. During the 119th Congress, we'll look at ways to improve efficiencies, reduce unnecessary requirements, and cut costs. According to this oversight plan, we will also conduct effective oversight of legislative branch entities by reestablishing regular budget hearings. Additionally, we'll promote the acquisition of American-made products and services across the legislative branch. The Chief Administrative Officer adheres to guidelines for procurement of goods and services for the House to ensure the most effective use of resources. While frequently updated, the guidelines should be reexamined to ensure they are meeting our current needs and utilizing the ingenuity of companies and their products that are made in the USA. We have an obligation to the American people to conduct this critical oversight of our legislative branch. I'm eager to discuss all of these and many other important matters today. I look forward to a thoughtful discussion on the oversight plan before us today, and I yield back. I'll now recognize the ranking member, Mr. Morelle, for five minutes for the purpose of offering an opening statement. Good morning. Thank you Chairman Stile and all my colleagues for being here and thank you Mr. Chairman for calling this meeting to consider the committee's authorization and oversight plan and for providing the opportunity to submit our minority views. While we do have some major disagreements with one another, we likely agree on a great deal more, and I'm looking forward to continuing to work in a productive bipartisan manner to bolster and modernize the House so we can effectively assert the Article I authority vested in us by the Constitution. As congressional committees go, the Committee on House Administration may be small, but we punch way above our weight. We are stewards of this institution and oversee virtually every aspect of congressional operations. Every day, and you alluded to this, we make decisions on how to best safeguard Congress with the Capitol Police and Sergeant at Arms. facilitate a productive workplace with chief administrative officer, consider legislation with the clerk and legislative council, administer elections with the Election Assistance Commission, and so much more with a broad array of agencies and offices that reside within the legislative branch.
We can also have a profound impact on how the House, and as a result our nation, addresses our most challenging issues. But we can't do that without the work of what I consider one of Congress's greatest assets, our nonpartisan institutional staff. In my two years as ranking member of this committee, I've had the good fortune of getting to know the institutional staff that includes capital police officers, skilled craftspersons, cybersecurity experts, auditors, food service staff, tour guides, just to name a few. And I want to make sure these public servants who work so hard behind the scenes know that they are appreciated and valued here. The plan we're considering today serves as a roadmap to help us ensure these institutional staffers, along with all of us that make up the congressional community, are both put in a position to succeed and held to the standards befitting the United States Congress. So once again, I want to thank you, Mr. Chair, for allowing us to submit our minority views and for convening this meeting. And with that, I yield back. The gentleman yields back. I now call up Committee Resolution 119-9, the Oversight Authorization Plan for the 119th Congress. The clerk will please report the resolution.
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