[Deschler's Precedents]
[From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access]
[DOCID:52093c25_txt-6]
[Page 5084-5086]
CHAPTER 25
Appropriation Bills
A. INTRODUCTORY MATTERS; AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS
Sec. 5. Contingent Fund Expenditures
Money appropriated for the contingent fund of the House is used for
such miscellaneous purposes as employees salaries or salary increases,
including those of committee investigative personnel; certain
allowances <SUP>(12)</SUP> housekeeping actions <SUP>(13)</SUP> and the
like. Simple House resolutions, which provide for expenditures from the
contingent fund, are reported by the Committee on House Administration
and called up as privileged.<SUP>(14)</SUP>
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12. On one occasion, expenses incident to a special session of
Congress, including mileage for the Vice President, Senators,
and Representatives, and payments to pages, were provided for
by appropriations made in a joint resolution. See Sec. 8.21,
infra.
13. See Procedure in the U.S. House of Representatives, Ch. 6
Sec. Sec. 10-13 (4th ed.).
14. See Sec. 5.1, infra.
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On occasion, a resolution not formally reported by the Committee on
House Administration, providing for payment from the contingent fund of
salaries of in
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vestigative personnel of standing and select committees for a three
months period (pending adoption of annual committee funding
resolution), is called up and agreed to by unanimous
consent.<SUP>(15)</SUP>
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15. See Procedure in the U.S. House of Representatives Ch. 25 Sec. 4.4
(4th ed.)
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The Committee on House Administration formerly had authority to fix
allowances without subsequent House approval. Such authority, except
for cost of living adjustments, was withdrawn on July 1, 1976, by a
House resolution thereafter enacted into law. Subsequent House approval
is presently required for Committee on House Administration orders
fixing allowances beyond the 94th Congress.<SUP>(16)</SUP>
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16. See Procedure in the U.S. House of Representatives Ch. 25 Sec. 4.5
(4th ed.) -------------------
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Privileged Resolution
Sec. 5.1 A resolution reported by the Committee on House Administration
providing for an expenditure from the contingent fund is called up
as privileged.
On June 16, 1965,<SUP>(1)</SUP> a resolution <SUP>(2)</SUP>
authorizing each Member and the Resident Commissioner to employ a
``summer Congressional Intern'' and permitting payment from the
contingent fund of amounts required to carry out the resolution, was
reported by the Committee on House Administration and called up as
privileged:
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1. 111 Cong. Rec. 13799, 89th Cong. 1st Sess.
2. H. Res. 416.
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Mr. [Samuel N.] Friedel [of Maryland]: Mr. Speaker, by
direction of the Committee on House Administration, I call up House
Resolution 416, with amendments thereto, and ask for its immediate
consideration.
The Clerk read the resolution, as follows:
H. Res. 416
Resolved, That (a) notwithstanding any other provision of
law, each Member of the House of Representatives and the
Resident Commissioner from Puerto Rico are authorized to hire .
. . one additional employee. . . . For this purpose each Member
of the House of Representatives and the Resident Commissioner
from Puerto Rico shall have available for payment to such
intern a gross allowance of $750 . . . payable from the
contingent fund of the House until otherwise provided by law.
In response to a parliamentary inquiry, Speaker John W. McCormack,
of Massachusetts, indicated that such a report, privileged under Rule
XI, may be called up for consideration on the same day reported, and
unanimous consent is not required.
Parliamentarian's Note: Such reports are now subject to the
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three-day layover requirement of Rule XI clause 2(l)(6).
Sec. 5.2 A resolution reported by the Committee on House
Administration, providing for payment from the contingent fund of
additional compensation for certain positions created by House
resolution, was called up as privileged.
On Aug. 5, 1970,<SUP>(3)</SUP> the following proceedings took
place:
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3. 116 Cong. Rec. 27449-51, 91st Cong. 2d Sess.
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Mr. [Wayne L.] Hays [of Ohio]: Mr. Speaker, by direction of the
Committee on House Administration, I [call up] a privileged report
(Rept. No. 91-1378) on the resolution (H. Res. 1117) relating to
the compensation of two positions created by House Resolution 543,
89th Congress, and ask for immediate consideration of the
resolution.
The Clerk read the resolution as follows:
H. Res. 1171
Resolved, That, until otherwise provided by law, effective
as of January 1, 1970, the per annum (gross) rate of
compensation (basic compensation plus additional compensation
authorized by law) of each of the two positions referred to in
House Resolution 543, Eighty-ninth Congress, shall not exceed
the annual rate of basic pay for level IV of the Executive
Schedule of section 5315 of title 5, United States Code. The
contingent fund of the House of Representatives is made
available to carry out the purposes of this resolution.
[The resolution was rejected.]
Surplus Contingent Funds
Sec. 5.3 The House agreed to a resolution authorizing the transfer of
surplus 1960 contingent funds to liquidate 1962 contingent fund
obligations of the House.
On June 21, 1962,<SUP>(4)</SUP> the following proceedings took
place:
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4. 108 Cong. Rec. 11314, 87th Cong. 2d Sess.
See also 109 Cong. Rec. 11462, 88th Cong. 1st Sess., June 25, 1963, for
a resolution authorizing transfer of surplus 1961 contingent
funds to liquidate 1963 contingent fund obligations of the
House.
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Mr. [Samuel N.] Friedel [of Maryland]: Mr. Speaker, by
direction of the Committee on House Administration, I call up the
resolution (H. Res. 694) authorizing the transfer of certain funds
within the contingent fund of the House of Representatives, and ask
for its immediate consideration.
The Clerk read the resolution, as follows:
Resolved, That such funds as may be necessary to liquidate
the 1962 obligations may be transferred, within the contingent
fund of the House of Representatives, from ``Miscellaneous
Items, 1960'', to ``Special and Select Committees, 1962''.
The resolution was agreed to.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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