TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 1979. U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES WITNESSES OFFICE OF THE CLERK EDMUND L. HENSHAW, JR., CLERK W. RAYMOND COLLEY, DEPUTY CLERK THOMAS LADD, ASSISTANT TO THE CLERK STAN BRAND, GENERAL COUNSEL TO THE CLERK JOHN E. LAWLER, CHIEF OFFICE OF FINANCE MIKE HENY, ASSISTANT CHIEF, OFFICE OF FINANCE JENNY CASHDOLLAR, ACCOUNTING SUPERVISOR, OFFICE OF FINANCE OFFICE OF SERGEANT AT ARMS KENNETH R. HARDING, SERGEANT AT ARMS OFFICE OF THE DOORKEEPER JAMES T. MOLLOY, DOORKEEPER JACK RUSS, DEPUTY DOORKEEPER OFFICE OF THE POSTMASTER ROBERT V. ROTA, POSTMASTER C. ELMO BOYDSTON, ASSISTANT POSTMASTER LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL WARD M. HUSSEY Mr. BENJAMIN. Today we take up the House of Representatives, which includes the House budget of $326,415,100 for 1980, an increase of $10,394,500 over 1979 including pending supplementals, plus certain joint items totaling $80,357,500, an increase of $6,300,800 over 1979 appropriations including pending supplementals. The Clerk of the House, Edmund L. Henshaw, Jr., is with us this morning, as is Mr. Ken Harding, the Sergeant at Arms; the Doorkeeper, Jim Molloy; and the Postmaster, Robert Rota. Mr. Henshaw, would you please introduce the people that you have with you? Mr. HENSHAW. Yes, Mr. Chairman. GENERAL STATEMENT OF THE CLERK OF THE HOUSE I appreciate the opportunity to meet with you this morning. If I could make a statement and then introduce my people; would that be all right? Mr. BENJAMIN. Yes. Mr. HENSHAW. I appear before the subcommittee today to outline for you the fiscal year 1980 budget estimates for the House of Representatives and certain joint items disbursed by the House for both the Senate and the House. I shall also briefly summarize the program and pay supplemental estimates that are pending for the current fiscal year. These estimates have been prepared in cooperation with the affected House officers and the staff of the Subcommittee on Legislative Branch Appropriations. I would like to assure the members of this subcommittee that my immediate office and departments under the Clerk are ready to provide any assistance you may need in your deliberations. Mr. Chairman, may I also say that I appreciate the interest and cooperation of this subcommittee. I especially want to commend the work of your staff assistant, Mr. Ed Lombard. Appearing with me today are the Deputy Clerk, Mr. W. Raymond Colley, and the Chief of the Office of Finance, Mr. John Lawler, together with one of his assistants, Mr. Mike Heny, and his Accounting Supervisor, Ms. Jenny Cashdollar. BUDGET ESTIMATES The fiscal year 1980 House estimates submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) total $326,415,100. This is an increase over appropriations for the current fiscal year of approximately $20.4 million. When the "joint items" disbursed by the Clerk of the House are included, the total is $402,549,600. The chart on page 3 shows the budget by component parts. [The information follows:] BUDGET BY COST CENTERS Mr. HENSHAW. We also have one of my assistants who works with the Finance Office, Mr. Tom Ladd, and Stan Brand, over to my right, who is my counsel. They will be with me this morning, Mr. Chairman. We have added charts in my statement this year which we hope will be helpful to the subcommittee in its deliberations. I will just refer to these as we go through, and I would be glad to answer any questions. Mr. Chairman, this is an increase of about $26.4 million. However, the increase over the current fiscal year is not quite as high as it first appears. The figures utilized for fiscal year 1979 do not include pending supplemental appropriation requests totaling $10,119,800. These funds are for a program supplemental for the Education of Pages and the 5.5 percent pay increase granted to employees of the House October 1, 1978. The chart on page 4 shows the component makeup of the budget by cost centers. As you can see, the greater portion of our budget is for salaries. [The information follows:] |