II. Historical Background

The committee was initially named the "Committee on Expenditures in the Executive Departments." Its antecedents are summarized in Cannon's Precedents of the House of Representatives, Vol. VII, sec. 2041, p. 831 (1935), as follows:

This committee was created, December 5, 1927, by the consolidation of the eleven Committees on Expenditures in the Various Departments of the Government, the earliest of which has been in existence since 1816. As adopted in 1816, the rule did not include the committees for the Department of Interior, Justice, Agriculture, Commerce, and Labor. The committees for these departments date, respectively, from 1860, 1874, 1889, 1905, and 1913.

The resolution providing for the adoption of the rules of the Seventieth Congress discontinued the several committees on expenditures and transferred their functions to the newly created Committee on Expenditures in the Executive Departments.

On March 17, 1928, the jurisdiction of the committee was further enlarged by the adoption of a resolution, reported from the Committee on Rules, including within its jurisdiction the independent establishments and commissions of the Government.10

From 1928 until January 2, 1947, when the Legislative Reorgani zation Act of 1946 became effective, the Committee's jurisdiction was set forth in Rule XI, 34, of the House Rules then in force (H. Doc. 810, 78th Cong., 2d Sess. (1945)), as follows:

34. The examination of the accounts and expenditures of the several departments, independent establishments, and commissions of the Government, and the manner of keeping the same; the economy, justness, and correctness of such expenditures; their conformity with appropriation laws; the proper application of public moneys; the security of the Government against unjust and extravagent demands; retrenchment; the enforcement of the payment of moneys due the United States; the economy and accountability of public officers; the abolishment of useless offices, shall all be subjects within the jurisdiction of the Committee on Expenditures in the Executive Departments.

As mentioned above, the present statement of the Committee's jurisdiction was largely prescribed in the revised Rule XI set forth in the

10 Examples of the wide-ranging scope of the committee's jurisdiction are set forth in Cannon's Precedents, supra, secs. 2042-2046 pp. 831-833 (1935).

Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946, supra. The Rule as set forth in the Act contained its present preamble, plus the following proviso:

Provided, That unless otherwise provided herein, any matter within the jurisdiction of a standing committee prior to January 2, 1947, shall remain subject to the jurisdiction of that committee or of the consolidated committee succeeding generally to the jurisdiction of that Committee.

This proviso was omitted from the Rules of the House adopted January 3, 1953.11

Under the Constitution (Art. I, sec. 5, cl. 2), "Each House may determine the Rules of its Proceedings." Omission of the proviso made no substantive change, since the scope of the Committee's jurisdiction prior to January 2, 1947, is embraced within the Committee's jurisdiction as defined in the present Rules.

13

The committee's membership, which was fixed at 21 when it was consolidated on December 5, 1927, was increased to 25 when the Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946 became effective on January 2, 1947. In 1951, the committee's membership was increased to 27.12 From 1953 until January 1963, the committee's membership remained at 30. Pursuant to H. Res. 108, 88th Cong., adopted January 17, 1963, the committee was enlarged to 31 members. In the 89th Congress the membership of the committee was increased to 34 through passage of H. Res. 114, January 14, 1965. The present committee membership of 35 was first established by H. Res. 128, 90th Cong. approved January 16, 1967.

Beginning September 28, 1949, the moneys appropriated to the committee were, by House resolution in each session of Congress, available for expenses incurred in conducting studies and investigations authorized by Rule XI, 8, whether made within or without the United States. During the 91st Congress, the committee's authority, powers, and duties, under the rules, may be exercised either within or outside the United States. (H. Res. 213, 91st Cong., 1st sess., March 13, 1969, H. Rept. No. 91-35. See also appropriations resolution: II. Res. 214, 1st sess., March 26, 1969, H. Rept. No. 91-131).

The committee's name was changed to "Committee on Government Operations" by House resolution adopted July 3, 1952." The Congressional Record indicates the reasons underlying that change in name were, in part, as follows:

16

11 H. Res. 5, 83d Cong. (99 Cong. Rec. 15). Cf. rules in H. Doc. 564, 82d Cong., 2d sess., p. 328 and in H. Doc. 739, 81st Cong., 2d sess., p. 326.

12 H. Res. 60, 82d Cong., 1st sess. (97 Cong. Rec. 184).

13 H. Res. 98, 83d Cong. (99 Cong. Rec. 436); H. Res. 94, 84th Cong. (101 Cong. Rec. 484) H. Res. 89, 85th Cong. (103 Cong. Rec. 412); H. Res. 120, 86th Cong. (105 Cong. Rec. 841) H. Res. 137, 87th Cong. (107 Cong. Rec. 1677).

1 81st Congress: H. Res. 364. Sept. 28, 1949 (95 Cong. Rec. 13501); H. Res. 524, May 11, 1950 (96 Cong. Rec. 6920). Corresponding resolutions were adopted in each session of each succeeding Congress. For example, in the 88th Congress see H. Res. 80, Feb. 27. 1963 (109 Cong. Rec. 3098); H. Res. 81. Jan. 31, 1963 (109 Cong. Rec. 1602); and H. Res. 615. Mar. 4, 1964 (110 Cong. Rec. 4278). In the 89th Congress, see H. Res. 110, June 14, 1965 (111 Cong. Rec. 12915); H. Res 109, Feb. 24, 1965 (111 Cong. Rec. 3344); and H. Res. 633. Jan. 27, 1966 (Cong. Rec. 1355). In the 90th Congress, see H. Res. 109, Mar. 8, 1967 (Cong. Rec. 2357); H. Res. 1027, Mar. 13, 1968 (Cong. Rec. 1937); and H. Res. 1160, May 9, 1968 (Cong. Rec. 3642).

15 H. Res. 647, 82d Cong. (98 Cong. Rec. 9217). The Senate made a similar change of name on Mar. 3, 1952. after conferences between the chairmen of the House and Senate Committees on Expenditures in the Executive Departments to insure that both Houses would adopt the change in name. S. Res. 280, 82d Cong. (98 Cong. Rec. 1701-1702). See also S. Rept. No. 1231, 80th Cong., 2d sess.. p. 3 (May 3, 1948).

18 Letter of Feb. 19, 1952, from the chairman, Senate Committee on Expenditures in the Executive Departments, Senator McClellan to Senator Hayden (98 Cong. Rec. 1702).

This committee is proposing the indicated change in the present title, in view of the fact that it is misleading and the committee's functions and duties are generally misunderstood by the public.

*

In suggesting the proposed change the committee based its decision on what it considers to be the major or primary function of the committee under the prescribed duties assigned to it to study "the operations of Government activities at all levels with a view to determining its economy and efficiency." It was the unanimous view of the members of the committee that the proposed new title would be more accurate in defining the purposes for which the committee was created and in clearly establishing the major purpose it serves.

III. Organization

A. SUBCOMMITTEES

In order to perform its functions and to carry out its duties as fully and as effectively as possible, the committee, under the leadership of its chairman, the Honorable William L. Dawson, of Illinois, at the beginning of the 91st Congress, established eight standing subcommittees, which cover the entire field of executive expenditures and operations. The names and chairmen of these subcommittees are as follows:

Military Operations Subcommittee, Hon. Chet Holifield, chair

man.

man.

Government Activities Subcommittee, Hon. Jack Brooks, chair-
Intergovernmental Relations Subcommittee, Hon. L. H. Foun-
tain, chairman.

Executive and Legislative Reorganization Subcommittee, Hon.
John A. Blatnik, chairman.

Foreign Operations and Government Information Subcommittee,
Hon. John E. Moss, chairman.

Legal and Monetary Affairs Subcommittee, Hon. Dante B. Fascell,
chairman.

Conservation and Natural Resources Subcommittee, Hon. Henry
S. Reuss, chairman.

Special Studies Subcommittee, Hon. John S. Monagan, chair

man.

B. RULES OF THE COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT

OPERATIONS

Rule 1. The regular meetings of the committee shall be held on the second Wednesday of each month at 10a.m.

Rule 2. A member may vote by proxy on any matter before the committee. Such proxy shall be in writing, dated and signed by the member granting the proxy, and identifying the member to whom the proxy is given. No proxies shall be used to establish a quorum.

Rule 3. The chairman shall have authority to establish subcommittees and to assign to them such functions as he may deem advisable. The chairman shall have the authority to refer bills, resolutions, and other matters to appropriate subcommittees for consideration or investigation, and to recall such bills, resolutions, and other matters from the subcommittees to which they have been referred.

Rule 4. The chairman and the ranking minority member of the committee shall be ex officio members of all subcommittees.

Rule 5. Any member of the full committee may sit with any subcommittee, but may not vote on any matter before the subcommittee, unless he is a member of such subcommittee.

Rule 6. No person shall be present at an executive session of the committee other than the members of the committee, its staff, and such other persons whose presence the chairman deems necessary or advisable.

Rule 7. A rollcall of the members may be had upon the request of any member.

Rule 8. All questions put to witnesses before the committee shall be relevant to the subject matter before the committee for consideration and the chairman shall rule on the relevance of any questions put to the witness.

Rule 9. Committee members may question witnesses only when recognized by the chairman for that purpose. The chairman, when he deems it advisable, may limit the time of such questions to 5 minutes.

Rule 10. A stenographic record of all testimony shall be kept of public hearings and shall be made available on such conditions as the chairman may prescribe.

Rule 11. Every committee report shall have the approval of a majority of the committee. Those committee members not concurring in the majority report may file a minority report or express dissenting views and any member may file an additional or supplementary report. Rule 12. The staff of the committee shall be subject to the direction of the chairman and shall perform such duties as he may assign. Rule 13. The Rules of the House, together with the rules specified herein, shall govern the procedure of the committee.

Rule 14. The chairman shall have the authority to hire and discharge employees of the professional and clerical staff of the full committee and subcommittes subject to appropriate approval.

Rule 15. The number of members to constitute a quorum for taking testimony and receiving evidence shall not be less than two.

Rule 16. So far as applicable these rules shall be the rules of subcommittees, but each subcommittee may make additional rules not inconsistent herewith.