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In addition, I have already submitted to the subcommittee a more detailed statement and corresponding table regarding my request.

First I want to say I recognize the 104th Congress has been and continues to be a place of great change. In light this fact, all budgetary numbers are difficult to finalize at this time.

Second, when appearing before the subcommittee, my predecessor, Donn Anderson, concisely outlined the mission of the Clerk's office as an agency to operate for the benefit of all House offices, and this is a spirit I share, a mission I intend to continue. In discussing my new assignment with Chairman Packard and Members of the transition team and others, I was encouraged to fully review the operation's functions and make recommendations to reorganize and establish a more modern model for the Office of the Clerk.

With this goal in mind, over the last six weeks I have focused on individually reviewing these offices, their responsibilities and objectives. This initial review has been very helpful in learning the historical need and purposes of each office and function. This added knowledge has assisted me in determining the final budget submission I will outline today.

FY 1996 ESTIMATED CLERK'S OPERATIONAL BUDGET

For overall funding for the Clerk's operation, I am requesting $12,724,116, and 253 FTEs for fiscal year 1996. This request is $1,002,499, or 7.6 percent, less than the fiscal year 1996 budget submission of my predecessor, and it eliminates funding for 23 FTEs. Compared to fiscal year 1995 actual budget authority, the request is a modest 3.84 percent, or $471,116, increase in the Clerk's overall budget.

The fiscal year 1996 budget proposal would reduce FTE funding by 11 positions, from the current 264 FTEs to 253 FTEs. It includes an $834,391 reduction in personnel costs.

I have included as part of my testimony a more complete funding chart of fiscal year 1994, 1995 and proposed 1996. It further itemizes proposed funding levels for individual departments and offices of the Clerk.

I would like to bring to the attention of the subcommittee a difficulty I faced, as did the other officers, regarding several fiscal year 1995 unfunded FTE positions and the impacts on the fiscal year 1996 budget request. Although the FTEs have not been funded in the 1995 budget, personnel have been appointed to the authorized positions. Thus the Clerk's new operation had an actual staff of 276 employees, of which only 264 FTE positions have been funded.

I am already implementing the necessary steps, such as not filling certain vacant positions and reducing other spending, to ensure that the fiscal year 1995 shortfall can be avoided. But the actual reduction to achieve the proposed fiscal year 1996 personnel was 23 funded positions, a more dramatic reduction than it appears at first glance.

In addition to these funding reductions, I am submitting some additional specific reforms to reduce costs and maintain House services, including the integration of the Office of Historian and the

House Librarian; combining the Official Reporters of Debates and Committees; and enhancing electronic dissemination of legislative information to the general public.

I appreciate the indulgence of the committee, and I and my staff, pretty much in the form of Jenay, are prepared to answer any specific questions that you may have.

[The information follows:]

STATEMENT OF HON. ROBIN H. CARLE, CLERK OF THE HOUSE,
BEFORE THE HOUSE LEGISLATIVE BRANCH

APPROPRIATIONS SUBCOMMITTEE

February 15, 1995

Chairman Packard, Congressman Fazio and members of the subcommittee, this is

my first appearance before your subcommittee. It is a great pleasure to appear and an honor to serve the members of the 104th Congress.

Similar to the other House officers, I wish to generally outline the functions and the FY96 budgetary needs of the various departments under my purview. At this time, the Congress continues to be a place of great change and reorganization. An historical event occurred last November and it continues to send rippling effects throughout the administrative offices of the Capitol Complex. For that reason, the specifics are yet to be developed in many areas and are certain to change in others. I will be continuing to work with this subcommittee well beyond this hearing to finalize our budgetary needs for FY96.

OFFICE OF THE CLERK

When appearing before this subcommittee, my predecessor (Hon. Donnald K. Anderson) concisely outlined the mission of the Clerk's office as an agency intended to operate to the benefit of all House offices. It is a spirit I share and a mission I intend to

continue.

As part of the overall transition and Leadership's reorganization of the House's administrative offices, the Clerk of the House was intended to retain control over functions and offices that had a direct impact or responsibility in the legislative process. As the transition team determined allocations of responsibilities between House officers, the size

and scope of the Clerk's operation was changed. Some functions were added to the Clerk's office and others transferred. In particular, several responsibilities previously maintained by the Doorkeeper were respectfully transmitted to the Clerk.

While the Transition Team did specifically assign all offices to the various officers, certain functions and offices continue to be reviewed. It is my strong personal belief that some offices and responsibilities have been inappropriately assigned to other officers and should be returned to the Office of the Clerk. In addition, I believe other areas currently assigned to the Clerk, should be reviewed and potentially assigned to other House officers.

I wish to highlight this point to stress that a final conclusion is yet to be reached. This budget request is based upon our most current information. And, any change would certainly translate into changes in the budget submissions before the subcommittee.

To date, the following offices are assigned to the Clerk of the House:

Immediate Office of the Clerk

Office of Legislative Operations

Office of Legislative Computer Systems

Official Reporters of Committees

Official Reporters of Debates

Office of Legislative Information

House Library

Office of Records and Registration

House Floor Services

Office of the Chief Page

House Page School

Service Group

Office of the Historian

Office of the General Counsel

In discussing my new assignment with Chairman Packard, the Transition Team and others, I was encouraged to fully review the operation, its functions and make recommendations to reorganize and establish a more modern model for the Office of the

Clerk. With that fact in mind, over the last six weeks I have focused on individually reviewing these offices, their responsibilities and objectives. This initial review has been very helpful in learning the historical need and purpose of each office and function. This added knowledge has assisted me in determining the final budget submission I will outline.

FY96 CLERK'S BUDGET SUBMISSION

For overall funding for the Clerk's operations, I am requesting $12,724,116 and 253 FTEs for FY96. This request is $1,002,499 or 7.6% less than the FY96 budget submission of my predecessor and eliminates funding for 23 FTEs.

Compared to FY95 actual budget authority, the request is a modest 3.84% or a $471,116 increase in the Clerk's overall budget. The FY96 budget proposal would reduce FTE funding by 11 positions from the current 264 FTEs to 253 FTEs. It includes a $834,391 reduction in personnel costs.

I have included as part of my testimony and would like added to the record a more complete funding chart of fiscal year 1994, 1995 and proposed 1996 funding. It further itemizes proposed funding levels for individual departments and offices under the Clerk.

DIFFICULTIES IN COMPILING

I wish to bring to the attention of the subcommittee a difficulty I faced, as did the other House officers, regarding several FY95 unfunded FTE positions under departments transferred to the Clerk and their impact on the FY96 budget request. Although these FTEs had not been funded in FY95, personnel had been appointed to the positions. Thus, the Clerk's new operation had an actual staff of 276 employees of which only 264 FTE

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