[Deschler's Precedents]
[From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access]
[DOCID:52093c03_txt-14]
[Page 197-199]
CHAPTER 3
Party Organization
C. PARTY COMMITTEES AND INFORMAL GROUPS
Sec. 13. Steering Committee
The Republican Conference in 1919 authorized the creation of a
steering committee to be nominated by the Committee on Committees and
elected by the party conference.<SUP>(18)</SUP> The committee created
by the Republicans is now known as the Policy Committee.<SUP>(19)</SUP>
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18. See 8 Cannon's Precedents Sec. 3621.
19. The Policy Committee is discussed in Sec. 12, supra.
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A Democratic Steering Committee was created in the 73d Congress to
consist of 15 Members elected to represent geographical
zones.<SUP>(20)</SUP> Cannon stated that, ``the Steering Committee is
not responsible to the caucus, and the election of its members . . . is
not subject to caucus ratification or rejection'';<SUP>(1)</SUP> that,
``members of the Steering Committee are directly responsible to the
membership of the zone from which elected and are subject to recall at
any time'';<SUP>(2)</SUP> and that, ``the Chairman of the Steering
Committee is elected by the committee and is ineligible to succeed
himself.''<SUP>(3)</SUP>
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20. See 8 Cannon's Precedents Sec. 3622.
1. 8 Cannon's Precedents Sec. 3622.
2. Id.
3. Id.
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The purposes of the Steering Committee as originally created were
to consult with the various geographical groups on pending legislation,
to promote unity among the groups, and to advise the party leadership
as to legislative scheduling and floor strategy.<SUP>(4)</SUP>
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4. See Congressional Quarterly's Guide to the Congress of the United
States, Congressional Quarterly Service (Washington, D.C.,
1971), pp. 142, 604. See also 8 Cannon's Precedents Sec. 3622,
discussing the functions of the steering committee.
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The Democratic Steering Committee was relatively inactive for many
years. But changes in the committee's composition and functions were
included in an addendum to the 1973 caucus rules and, more recently,
the committee has assumed new importance as the
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Steering and Policy Committee. The current role of the committee,
including its role in the determination of standing committee
assignments for party members, will be discussed more extensively in
supplements to this edition. Briefly, the committee at present is
composed of the party leadership in addition to those members elected
on a geographical basis or appointed by the Speaker. Its main functions
are to make recommendations regarding party policy, legislative
priorities, and the scheduling of matters for House or caucus action.
In the 89th Congress, resolutions were adopted authorizing payments
from the contingent fund of the House to be applied to salaries for
certain employees of the Steering Committee<SUP>(5)</SUP> and to
expenses of the committee.<SUP>(6)</SUP>
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5. See Sec. 13.1, infra.
6. See Sec. 13.2, infra.
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Members of the Democratic Steering Committee from its inauguration
to Mar. 21, 1945, are listed in an appendix to the Congressional Record
of the 79th Congress. In that Congress, Mr. William M. Whittington, of
Mississippi, asked and was given permission to extend his remarks in
the appendix of the Record and to include therein the membership rolls
of the Democratic Steering Committee from its inauguration, in addition
to a partial list of the Chairmen of the Democratic
Caucus.<SUP>(7)</SUP> The list includes the ex officio members of the
committee in each of the Congresses. In the 73d Congress, the ex
officio members were the Speaker, floor leader, caucus chairman,
Chairman of the Committee on Rules, and the whip. Beginning with the
76th Congress, the Chairman of the Committee on Ways and Means and the
Chairman of the Committee on Appropriations were also designated as ex
officio members of the Steering Committee. At present,<SUP>(8)</SUP> ex
officio members include the Speaker, the floor leader, the whip, the
caucus chairman, the secretary of the caucus and the Chairman of the
Congressional Campaign Committee.
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7. The list appears in the appendix to the Record, 91 (part 10) Cong.
Rec. A1367, A1368, 79th Cong. 1st Sess., Mar. 21, 1945
(extension of remarks of Mr. William M. Whittington).
8. See Congressional Quarterly's Guide to the Congress of the United
States, Congressional Quarterly Service (Washington, D.C.,
1971), p. 142; and Ripley, Randall B., Party Leaders in the
House of Representatives, The Brookings Institution
(Washington, D.C., 1967), p.
47. -------------------
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Compensation for Employees
Sec. 13.1 The House on occasion has provided by resolution
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for compensation to be payable from the contingent fund of the
House to employees of the Democratic Steering Committee.
On Aug. 24, 1965,<SUP>(9)</SUP> the following resolution was
adopted by the House:
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9. 111 Cong. Rec. 21545, 89th Cong. 1st Sess. A resolution authorizing
an increase in the compensation of the positions referred to in
H. Res. 543, 89th Cong. 1st Sess. (1965), was rejected in the
91st Congress. See 116 Cong. Rec. 27449, 27451, 91st Cong. 2d
Sess., Aug. 5, 1970.
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H. Res. 543
Resolved, That, effective September 1, 1965, there shall be
payable from the contingent fund of the House of Representatives,
until otherwise provided by law, compensation at a basic rate per
annum not exceeding the maximum rate authorized by the
Classification Act of 1949, as amended, to one employee of each of
the following:
(1) the House Democratic Steering Committee; and
(2) the House Republican Conference.
Later in the first session of the 89th Congress,<SUP>(10)</SUP>
compensation for an additional employee of the Steering Committee was
authorized by the following resolution:
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10. 111 Cong. Rec. 28563, Oct. 22, 1965.
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H. Res. 625
Resolved, That, effective November 1, 1965, there shall be
payable from the contingent fund of the House of Representatives,
until otherwise provided by law, compensation at a basic rate not
exceeding $4,180 per annum to one additional employee of each of
the following:
(1) the House Democratic Steering Committee; and
(2) the House Republican Conference.
Expense Allowance
Sec. 13.2 The House adopted a resolution providing for payment for
certain expenses of the Democratic Steering Committee from the
contingent fund of the House.
In the second session of the 89th Congress,<SUP>(11)</SUP> the
following resolution was agreed to by the House:
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11. 112 Cong. Rec. 170, Jan. 13, 1966.
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H. Res. 661
Resolved, That, effective January 3, 1966, there shall be
payable from the contingent fund of the House of Representatives,
until otherwise provided by law, not to exceed $5,000 annually for
necessary expenses, other than salaries, to each of the following:
(1) the House Democratic Steering Committee; and
(2) the House Republican Conference.