United States House Committee on House Administration
Encyclopedia
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
.
Jurisdiction
The Committee on House Administration is a standing committee of the United States House of RepresentativesUnited States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
. The powers and duties of the Committee include the statutory responsibilities of the Committee on House Administration, as determined primarily by the Legislative Reorganization Acts of 1946 and 1970; the House of Representatives Administrative Reform Technical Corrections Act of 1996; and the Rules of the House of Representatives
Procedures of the United States House of Representatives
The United States Constitution provides that each "House may determine the Rules of its Proceedings," therefore each Congress of the United States, upon convening, approves its own governing rules of procedure. This clause has been interpreted by the courts to mean that a new Congress is not bound...
adopted on January 6, 1999.
The Committee on House Administration, which consists of 9 members, has jurisdiction over all legislation and other matters relating to the House of Representatives, such as:
- Appropriations from accounts (and the expenditure, auditing and settling thereof) for committee salaries and expenses, except for the Committee on Appropriations; House Information Resources; and allowances and expenses of Members, Delegates, the Resident Commissioner, Officers, and administrative offices of the House.
- Employment of persons by the House, including staff for Members, Delegates, the Resident Commissioner, and Committees; and reporters of debates.
- The Library of CongressLibrary of CongressThe Library of Congress is the research library of the United States Congress, de facto national library of the United States, and the oldest federal cultural institution in the United States. Located in three buildings in Washington, D.C., it is the largest library in the world by shelf space and...
, including management thereof. - The House Library.
- Statuary and pictures.
- Acceptance or purchase of works of art for the Capitol.
- United States Botanic GardenUnited States Botanic GardenThe United States Botanic Garden is a botanic garden on the grounds of the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C., near Garfield Circle....
. - Purchase of books and manuscripts.
- The Smithsonian InstitutionSmithsonian InstitutionThe Smithsonian Institution is an educational and research institute and associated museum complex, administered and funded by the government of the United States and by funds from its endowment, contributions, and profits from its retail operations, concessions, licensing activities, and magazines...
and the incorporation of similar institutions . - The Commission on Congressional Mailing Standards (Franking Commission).
- Printing and correction of the Congressional RecordCongressional RecordThe Congressional Record is the official record of the proceedings and debates of the United States Congress. It is published by the United States Government Printing Office, and is issued daily when the United States Congress is in session. Indexes are issued approximately every two weeks...
. - Accounts of the House generally.
- Assignment of office space for Members, Delegates, the Resident Commissioner, and Committees.
- Disposition of useless executive papers.
- Election of the President, Vice President, Members, Senators, Delegates, or the Resident Commissioner; corrupt practices; contested elections; credentials and qualifications; and Federal elections generally.
- Services to the House, including House food services, parking facilities, and administration of the House Office Buildings and of the House wing of the Capitol.
- Travel of Members, Delegates, and the Resident Commissioner.
- Raising, reporting, and use of campaign contributions for candidates for office of Representative, of Delegate, and of Resident Commissioner.
- Compensation, retirement, and other benefits of the Members, Delegates, the Resident Commissioner, Officers, and employees of Congress.
Additionally, the Committee:
- Provides policy direction for the Inspector General and oversight of the ClerkClerk of the United States House of RepresentativesThe Clerk of the United States House of Representatives is an officer of the United States House of Representatives, whose primary duty is to act as the chief record-keeper for the House....
, Sergeant at ArmsSergeant at Arms of the United States House of RepresentativesThe United States House of Representatives Sergeant at Arms is an officer of the House with law enforcement, protocol, and administrative responsibilities. The Sergeant at Arms is elected at the beginning of each Congress by the membership of the chamber...
, Chief Administrative OfficerChief Administrative Officer of the United States House of RepresentativesThe Chief Administrative Officer of the United States House of Representatives is the chief administrative officer of the United States House of Representatives, charged with carrying out administrative functions for the House, including human resources, information resources, payroll, finance,...
, and Inspector General. - Has the function of accepting on behalf of the House of RepresentativesUnited States House of RepresentativesThe United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
a gift, except as otherwise provided by law, if the gift does not involve a duty, burden, or condition, or is not made dependent on some future performance by the House; and promulgating regulations under which to do so. - Is responsible for considering amounts of payments of funds resulting from settlements of complaints under the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995.
Members, 112th Congress
| Majority | Minority |
|---|---|
|
Bob Brady Robert A. "Bob" Brady is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1998, and the ranking Democrat on the United States House Committee on House Administration since 2007... , Pennsylvania, Ranking Member Zoe Lofgren Zoe Lofgren is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1995. She is a member of the Democratic Party. The district is based in San Jose.-Early life, education, and early career:... , California Charlie Gonzalez Charles A. "Charlie" Gonzalez , is a Democratic politician from Texas. He has represented Texas's 20th congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives since 1999. The district includes more than half of San Antonio.... , Texas |
Source:
- Resolutions and electing members to certain standing committees of the House of Representatives.
Subcommittees
Due to its relatively small size, the House Administration Committee has not had subcommittees for most of its existence. For the 110th Congress, Chairwoman Millinder-McDonald recommended the creation of two new subcommittees, which were approved by the full committee on February 16, 2007.| Subcommittee | Chair | Ranking Member |
|---|---|---|
| Elections United States House Administration Subcommittee on Elections The House Administration Subcommittee on Elections is a subcommittee within the House Committee on House Administration. The subcommittee was created for the 110th Congress, along with the Subcommittee on Capitol Security at the urging of the late Rep. Juanita Millender-McDonald, then the... |
Gregg Harper Gregg Harper Gregory "Gregg" Harper is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2009. He is a member of the Republican Party. The district includes the wealthier portions of the state capital, Jackson, along with most of that city's suburbs. Other cities in the district include Meridian and Natchez.-... (R-MS) |
Bob Brady Bob Brady Robert A. "Bob" Brady is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1998, and the ranking Democrat on the United States House Committee on House Administration since 2007... (D-PA) |
| Oversight | Phil Gingrey Phil Gingrey John Phillip "Phil" Gingrey, is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2003. He is a member of the Republican Party. The district is located in the northwestern suburbs of Atlanta.-Early life, education and career:... (R-GA) |
Zoe Lofgren Zoe Lofgren Zoe Lofgren is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1995. She is a member of the Democratic Party. The district is based in San Jose.-Early life, education, and early career:... (D-CA) |
History
The Committee on House Administration was created by the Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946, which merged the Committees on Enrolled BillsUnited States House Committee on Enrolled Bills
The United States House Committee on Enrolled Bills is a former standing committee of the United States House of Representatives.The House standing Committee on Enrolled Bills was a result of the dissolution of the old Joint Committee on Enrolled Bills. The Joint Committee on Enrolled Bills was...
(created in 1789 as Joint Committee), Elections
United States House Committee on Elections
The United States House Committee on Elections is a former standing committee of the United States House of Representatives.Article 1, section 5, of the Constitution of the United States specifies: "Each House shall be the Judge of the Elections, Returns, and Qualifications of its own Members." The...
(created in 1794), Accounts
United States House Committee on Accounts
The United States House Committee on Accounts is a former committee of the United States House of Representatives from 1803 to 1927.-History:The committee was created on December 27, 1803, and was made a standing committee in 1805....
(created in 1803), Printing (created in 1846), Disposition of Executive Papers
United States House Committee on the Disposition of Executive Papers
The United States House Committee on the Disposition of Executive Papers is a former standing committee of the United States House of Representatives....
(created in 1889), Memorials (created in 1929), and some functions of the Joint Committee on the Library
United States Congress Joint Committee on the Library
The Joint Committee on the Library is a joint committee of the United States Congress devoted to the affairs and administration of the Library of Congress, which is the library of the federal legislature. There are five members of each house on the committee. It has no subcommittees.The committee...
(created in 1806 as a Joint Committee) into one new standing committee, the Committee on House Administration. (See National Archives's Records of the House Administration Committee and Its Predecessors)
In 1975 its responsibilities expanded to include oversight of parking facilities and campaign contributions to House candidates. In 1995 its responsibilities expanded to include oversight of the Commission on Congressional Mailing Standards.