LEGISLATIVE BRANCH APPROPRIATIONS

FOR 2004

HEARINGS

BEFORE A

SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE

COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

ONE HUNDRED EIGHTH CONGRESS
FIRST SESSION

NOTE: Under Committee Rules, Mr. Young, as Chairman of the Full Committee, and Mr. Obey, as Ranking
Minority Member of the Full Committee, are authorized to sit as Members of all Subcommittees.

ELIZABETH C. DAWSON, Staff Assistant

PART 1

FISCAL YEAR 2004 LEGISLATIVE BRANCH
APPROPRIATIONS REQUESTS AND JUSTIFICATION
OF THE BUDGET ESTIMATES

COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS

C. W. BILL YOUNG, Florida, Chairman

JAMES W. DYER, Clerk and Staff Director

LEGISLATIVE BRANCH APPROPRIATIONS FOR

2004

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 9, 2003.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

WITNESSES

HON. JAY EAGEN, CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER, OFFICE OF THE
CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER

HON. JEFF TRANDAHL, CLERK, OFFICE OF THE CLERK

HON. WILSON S. LIVINGOOD, SERGEANT AT ARMS, OFFICE OF THE
SERGEANT AT ARMS

STEVEN MCNAMARA, INSPECTOR GENERAL, OFFICE OF THE INSPEC-
TOR GENERAL

GERALDINE GENNET, OFFICE OF THE GENERAL COUNSEL
JOHN R. MILLER, OFFICE OF THE LAW REVISION COUNSEL
M. POPE BARROW, OFFICE OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL
DR. JOHN EISOLD, OFFICE OF THE ATTENDING PHYSICIAN

OPENING STATEMENT-FISCAL YEAR 2004 BUDGET

Mr. KINGSTON. I would like to welcome everybody and ask the
subcommittee to come to order, I apologize for being a little bit
late. I had a group of school kids, and you know, God bless them,
they are so much fun when they come to town, but they have to
figure out how to work each other's camera, and everybody has a
different camera.

Today we begin our hearings on the budget requests of the var-
ious agencies of the Legislative Branch for Fiscal Year 2004. It is
my intention to complete the hearings, the subcommittee markup,
the full committee markup and floor action by the July 4 recess.
The total appropriations request that will be considered by the sub-
committee is almost $3 billion, to be specific, $2,989,531,000. The
amount is about $30 million less than the amount reflected in the
President's budget request resulting from budget amendments sub-
mitted by some of our agencies. Nonetheless, the amount is $380.1
million, or 14.6 percent above the fiscal year 2003 enacted level.

In accordance with comity between the two Houses, we will not
consider the budget of the other body. The Senate will consider its
own request. If the Senate items are included in the total legisla-
tive branch, the request comes to $3.7 billion.

As I mentioned, the budget increases requested by the agencies
is about 14.6 percent above the fiscal year 2003 enacted level. As
we are aware, the House adopted our budget on March 21, 2003,
House Continuing Resolution 95, "the concurrent resolution of the
budget-fiscal year 2004." The resolution calls for a 1 percent re-

duction below fiscal year 2003 for the areas that are not in homeland security or defense. For the agencies under the jurisdiction of this subcommittee, this would mean that not only will we not be able to fund the increases requested, but also, in fact, we will need to reduce current operating levels by an additional $26 million. So everyone needs to understand as we move forward in the appropriation process this year, that the increases requested are likely to be unattainable.

With that in mind, I welcome Mr. Clyburn of South Carolina and yield the floor to you if you would like to make a statement.

Mr. CLYBURN. I understand Mr. Moran, who is our Ranking Member, is on the way, and I would rather reserve the time for him when he arrives.

Mr. KINGSTON. I appreciate that, and I want to welcome you to the committee. I would also like to recognize and welcome back Mr. LaHood, from Illinois who distinguished himself last year and is the only Member returning to the subcommittee from our side. Would you like to say anything Mr. LaHood?

Mr. LAHOOD. No, sir.

Mr. KINGSTON. I will introduce the other committee members when they arrive. And, of course, if Mr. Young and Mr. Obey come in, we will pause and introduce them at that time.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

We will begin our hearings with the budget request for the House of Representatives. The Chief Administrative Officer, assisted by the Office of Finance, submits the House budget each year to the Office of Management and Budget. That material is then included in the President's budget. The House budget request totals a little over $1 billion, which is $89.8 million, or a 9.5 percent increase, over the fiscal year 2003 enacted level. This request provides funding for the operations of Member offices, committees, the leadership, and the administrative operations of the House.

OPENING STATEMENTS

We want to welcome the officers of the House who are with us today: The Honorable Jeff Trandahl, Clerk of the House; and The Honorable Wilson S. "Bill" Livingood, Sergeant at Arms; and The Honorable Jay Eagen, Chief Administrative Officer. We also have with us today: Geraldine Gennet, the House General Counsel; John Miller, the House Law Revision Counsel; Pope Barrow, Jr., the House Legislative Counsel; Steven McNamara, the House Inspector General; and Dr. John Eisold, the Attending Physician.

Jay, you are the de facto "Budget Officer" of the House, and you are capable in all areas. However, I understand that Ms. Bernice Brosious, the Associate Administrator for the Office of Finance, is your right arm and is here today also. We have all the prepared statements, which have been given to the subcommittee Members, and we will insert them into the record at this point. Jeff, Jay or Bill, if you would like to make any additional remarks, I want to give you that opportunity at this time.

Mr. TRANDAHL. I think we will just go forward and submit our statements for the record, and then basically be prepared to summarize for you or answer any questions.

[The statements submitted for the record follow.]