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August 5, 2015
House Committee Funding and Process, 114th Congress
Overview
After completion of the hearings, the chair of the
Funding for House committees (except for the Committee
Committee on House Administration introduces the
on Appropriations) follows a two-step process of
omnibus funding resolution for that two-year Congress,
authorization and appropriation. Operating budgets for all
which, after its referral to the Committee on House
standing and select committees of the House (except for the
Administration, serves as the legislative vehicle for
Committee on Appropriations) are authorized pursuant to a
committee markup. The resolution is typically reported out
chamber funding resolution, and funding is provided by
of committee without amendment.
annual appropriations in the Legislative Branch
The primary expense resolution is usually considered by the
Appropriations bill and other appropriations acts.
House in March of the first session of a Congress, and
On March 19, 2015, the House agreed by voice vote to
agreed to with little debate. Prior to this consideration,
H.Res. 132, which authorized a total of $248.1 million for
during the first three months of each new Congress, House
committee expenses, including $124.1 million for the first
Rule X, clause 7, authorizes House committees to continue
session of the 114th Congress and $124.0 million for the
operations at funding levels based on their authorizations
second session.
from the preceding Congress. Under Rule X, clause 7, this
interim funding may not exceed, per month, 9% of the
The use of committee funds is subject to chamber rules,
previous year’s funding.
law, and regulations promulgated by the Committee on
House Administration, the Commission on Congressional
Authorization Trends
Mailing Standards, and the Ethics Committee, among other
Figure 1 reports the aggregate committee funding
House entities. These regulations may be found in a wide
authorization level from 1996-2016, in both nominal and
variety of sources, including statute, House rules,
real dollars. Since 1996, aggregate committee funding has
committee resolutions, the Committee Handbook, the
increased by slightly more than 56%, from $79.4 million in
Franking Manual, the House Ethics Manual, “Dear
1996 to $124.0 million in 2016, for an average annual
Colleague” letters, and formal and informal guidance.
increase of 2.8%. In constant dollars, however, aggregate
Committee funds may only be used to support the conduct
funding has increased 1% between 1996 and 2015, for an
of official committee business. They may not be used for
annual average real increase of less than one-tenth of 1%.
personal or campaign purposes, or comingled with any
Members’ Representational Allowance (MRA).
Figure 1. Aggregate House Committee
Information on individual committee spending is published
Authorizations, 101st – 114th Congresses
quarterly in the Statements of Disbursement of the House.
Authorization Process
Pursuant to House Rule X, clause 6, the Committee on
House Administration reports an omnibus, biennial
“primary expense resolution” to cover the expenses of each
standing and select committee of the House, except the
Committee on Appropriations.
In preparation for the biennial resolution, House
committees (except the Appropriations Committee) are
required by regulations of the Committee on House
Administration to submit an operating budget request for
Source: House Committee Funding Resolutions, 101st-114th
the two years of a Congress. Each committee is also
Congress.
required to introduce a House resolution with its proposed
Appropriations
authorization. These actions typically take place during late
February, with committees typically approving their
Funding for House committees is provided in the
budgets at a committee organizing meeting.
Legislative Branch Appropriations bill. Line-item
appropriations are not made for individual committees,
The individual resolutions are referred to the Committee on
except the Committee on Appropriations. Instead, funding
House Administration, which may hold hearings on each
is provided as a single total amount for all committees,
committee’s request. The chair and the ranking minority
under the heading “Committee Employees” and the
Member from each committee are typically the only
subheading “Standing Committees, Special and Select,”
witnesses who testify at these hearings, giving them an
within the House account “Salaries and Expenses.”
opportunity to explain and defend their budgets.
Consequently, the amount appropriated for committee
funding places a ceiling on total committee expenditures,
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House Committee Funding and Process, 114th Congress
but not on any individual committee’s expenditures. The
Figure 2 reports aggregate committee spending by category
expenditures of individual committees are constrained
during the second session of the 112th Congress, the most
instead by their authorization.
recent Congress for which complete data is available.
In addition, because authorizations for committee funds are
Figure 2. House Committee Expenditures, by
made biennially on a calendar-year basis and appropriations
Category
are made annually on a fiscal-year basis, there is no one-to-
112th Congress, second session (2012)
one correspondence between the authorization and the
appropriations in any given year. For any individual
biennial funding resolution, funds may be drawn from
money appropriated in three different fiscal years.
Majority / Minority Distribution
Clause 6(c) of House Rule X requires that “the minority
party (be) treated fairly in the appointment” of committee
staff employed pursuant to such expense resolutions. In
recent years, the House majority leadership has encouraged
its committee leaders to provide the minority with one-third
of the committee staff and resources authorized in the
biennial funding resolutions. Statements made by the chair
and ranking Member of the Committee on House
As shown in the figure, “Personnel Compensation”
Administration at the beginning of its committee funding
accounted for 92% of total committee spending. Beyond
review in recent Congresses indicate a general consensus
these staff expenses, committees spent an aggregate of
that all House committees should provide at least one-third
1.9% of their expenditures on “Equipment,” 2.6% on
minority staffing.
“Supplies and Materials,” and 0.5% on travel.
Usage
For more information on House committee funding, see
Data on committee expenditures were compiled using the
CRS Report RL32794, House Committee Funding Requests
quarterly Statement of Disbursements of the House, which
and Authorizations, 104th-114th Congresses; and CRS
reports all individual House expenditures disbursed during
Report R42778, House Committee Funding: Description of
the previous quarter. The Statement of Disbursements
Process and Analysis of Disbursements.
aggregates expenditures for individual committees across
Matthew E. Glassman, Analyst on the Congress
standard budget object classes used by the federal
Lara E. Chausow, Research Assistant
government. These include personnel compensation;
personnel benefits; travel; rent, communications, and
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utilities; printing and reproduction; other services; supplies
and materials; transportation of things; and equipment.
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House Committee Funding and Process, 114th Congress
Disclaimer
This document was prepared by the Congressional Research Service (CRS). CRS serves as nonpartisan shared staff to
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Information in a CRS Report should not be relied upon for purposes other than public understanding of information that has
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