Mr. FAULKNER. We are planning to, Mr. Chairman. Mr. PACKARD. Do you have any significant changes in mind for HIS? Mr. FAULKNER. I think part of the issue regarding HIS is looking at the changing profile of Members' needs on the Hill. We are at the brink of the cyber revolution in the Congress. We are already seeing a lot of Member offices using the Internet and E-mail systems as part of their constituent mail system. So looking at changing that profile is going to be extremely important, and part of our focus on our ongoing reviews. In addition to that, Don, would you like to say something? Mr. MUTERSBAUGH. Our credo is, we are serving our country by serving our Congress. I think that is going to provide the primary focus for a lot of the decisions we make. HIS SERVES OTHER AGENCIES Mr. PACKARD. You will be continuing to provide services to other agencies, I presume. Does that tend to distract you from providing the computer service to the House, and is it a very complex undertaking to continue to provide these marketing services to other agencies? Mr. MUTERSBAUGH. It is something that is under review. We definitely are looking at that. As far as whether we are going to continue to provide them, we are at the will of the Committee of Oversight. I think that will come under scrutiny, certainly, because we do want to focus on our customers, who are Members of Congress. ALLOWANCES AND EXPENSES Mr. FAULKNER. There is a fairly significant number of pages relates to individual allowances and expenses. I particularly draw the attention of Members of the subcommittee to page 22, which relates to government contribution. That relates to assignment and other funds. Mr. PACKARD. The government contribution item is $138.7 million and is our share of employee benefits, such as retirement, health insurance and so forth. This statement says it costs 29.08 cents in benefit costs for every staff salary dollar. Is that right? Mr. ANFINSON. That is right, Mr. Chairman, 29.08 cents for every employee dollar, and that is comprised of the Civil Service Retirement System contribution, the Federal Employees Retirement System, FICA, the Thrift Savings Plan, Medicare, health benefits, and other employee benefits that are covered for our employ ees. [The information follows:] Question. For the record, provide an analysis of the cost per salary dollar. Distinguish between FERS enrollees and CSRS enrollees. Provide a tabulation of the number of each on the House payroll. Response. The estimated benefit cost per salary dollar as contained in the FY 96 budget is itemized as follows: As of January 31, 1995 there were 2,322 CSRS enrollees and 9,537 FERS enroll ees. Mr. PACKARD. Thank you. And would you please insert your biography for the record. [The information follow:] THOMAS E. ANFINSON Mr. Anfinson is the Associate Administrator for Finance for the House of Representatives. A Certified Public Accountant, he was previously president of Thomas E. Anfinson & Company, a full-service accounting firm, with offices in Washington, DC and Virginia. Mr. Anfinson also conducted financial and retirement planning seminars with the National Institute of Transition Planning. He served as President and a Director of the U.S. Savings Bonds Foundation, an independent, non-profit organization. From 1981 until January, 1993, he served in a variety of appointee positions in the Reagan-Bush and Bush-Quayle Administration. He was a Presidential Appointee, confirmed by the Senate, as Deputy Under Secretary for Management and Chief Financial Officer of the U.S. Department of Education. He was also the Executive Director of the U.S. Savings Bonds Division of the Treasury Department. His other assignments include service with the Departments of Labor, Housing and Urban Development, Health and Human Services and the U.S. Office of Personnel Management. From 1983 to 1985, he was Deputy Treasurer of Reagan-Bush '84, the President's reelection campaign. He was an adjunct faculty member and coordinator of Personal Financial Planning at the Federal Executive Institute in Charlottesville, VA. He was also a member of the President's Council on Management Improvement and the Chief Financial Officer's Council of the Office of Management and Budget Executive Office of the President. He represented the Administration in the development of legislation leading to the Chief Financial Officer's Act of 1990. Mr. Anfinson was the founder and President of Anfinson Accountancy Corporation, a full-service accounting firm with offices in Southern California. His professional experience also includes seven years with Price Waterhouse, two years as national tax manager of Toyota Motor Sales, USA, Inc. and five years with the Renegotiation Board, an agency for the federal government. Mr. Anfinson received his Bachelor of Science degree in Business, with a major in Accounting, from the University of Southern California, and is a graduate of the Federal Executive Institute Excellence Program. He is married to the former Lawrene Nixon, they have three grown children, and live in Great Falls, VA. HOUSE CHILD CARE CENTER Mr. FAULKNER. Also, page 25, which is the last page of the allowances and expenses, focuses particularly on the childcare center. Mr. PACKARD. I had some questions on that, too. How much revenue do they show? I did not, as I reviewed that, see where it outlined the revenue that they take in. Mr. ANFINSON. The revenue from 1994 was $490,000. Projected revenue for 1995 is $523,000. Mr. PACKARD. So it is just a little short of balance. Mr. ANFINSON. It is a little short. The personnel benefits of that revolving fund are paid for by the House. Mr. PACKARD. Okay. That has generally historically been considered an appropriate cost to the House? Mr. ANFINSON. That is right. [The information follows:] Question. For the record, provide a revenue and expense budget for the House Child Care Center; Response. The House Child Care Center has submitted the following FY '96 operating budget. Note: Personnel benefits for this office are paid out of the appropriated House account "Government Contributions". The fiscal year 1996 estimated benefit costs total $175,682. Mr. PACKARD. That whole operation I presume needs to be reviewed in terms of evaluating how it is operating, what kind of service it provides, and if it is cost effective to the parents? Mr. FAULKNER. Yes, very much so. We have already had several of our assessment team down there looking at the different functions and talking to Members who use the facility, again, as part of our ongoing reviews. The other accounts on page 26 is the Committee on Appropriations' budget, which includes studies and investigations. Then we are into a tab on the official mail costs for the House, which is page 27 of the book. And then pages 28 through 41 relate to the salaries, officers and employees, all the administrative functions. We will be having all the different officers present those budgets and overviews as we need to. INTRODUCTION OF CLERK OF THE HOUSE Mr. PACKARD. Shall we have them up at the table now? Incidentally, Robin Carle is new in her position. We are very pleased to have her with us. She is the Clerk of the House. And there will be some questions. I think we might want to have your statement now also, Ms. Carle. Why don't you go ahead with that. We are very pleased to have you here. STATEMENT OF HOUSE CLERK Ms. CARLE. Thank you. Good to be here. I just wanted to thank you and Members of the committee here today. I am pleased to appear before you and to submit and testify on my office's 1996 budget request. Joining me also is Jenay Patch, our budget officer. |