Mr. STEED. The next item, Mr. Jennings. Mr. JENNINGS. The next item is on page 18 of the committee print, "Committee employees." For committee employees, other than special and select, which are under a separate heading, we are requesting $4,300,000 for 1968; this is the same as appropriated for 1967. For the 19 standing committees, other than the Committee on Appropriations, which is based on the assumption of 230 positions, the maximum now provided by law, 10 for each committee, or 190, with the exception of the Committee on the Judiciary, which has 13 positions; the Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce, which has 14 positions; the Committee on Foreign Affairs, which has 13 positions; the Committee on Armed Services, which has 24 positions; and the Committe on Ways and Means which has 26 positions. NEW STANDING COMMITTEE ON ETHICS All these have been authorized by the House. I would like to offer at this point in the record House Resolution 418, which provides for the Standing Committee on Standards of Official Conduct. That committee was appointed today, and there is no request in this budget for that committee, Mr. Chairman, because it was authorized subsequent to our preparation of the budget. (The resolution follows:) HOUSE RESOLUTION 418 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, U.S., April 13, 1967. Resolved, That there is hereby established a standing committee of the House of Representatives to be known as the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct (hereafter referred to as the "committee"). The committee shall be composed of twelve Members of the House of Representatives. Six members of the committee shall be members of the majority party and six shall be members of the minority party. SEC. 2. The jurisdiction of the committee shall be to recommend as soon as practicable to the House of Representatives such changes in laws, rules and regulations as the committee deems necessary to establish and enforce standards of official conduct for Members, officers, and employes of the House. SEC. 3. The committee may hold such hearings and take such testimony as may be necessary to carry out the purposes of this resolution. Mr. JENNINGS. The law authorized basic salaries ranging from $5,000 to $9,475 for each professional position and not to exceed $9,475 basic for each clerical position but, with the several increases now in effect, it is possible under the law for each position-professional or clerical-to pay the full gross amount of $25,890 per annum. Although quite a number of positions pay this maximum rate of salary, it is not expected that all positions will do so because experience shows they do not. As of February 28, 1967, there were 207 employees carried on the rolls of the 19 standing committees referred to at a gross salary of $3,483,208 per annum, or an average salary of $16,827 each as against the maximum authorized of 230 positions. The Committee on Appropriations payroll, as of February 28, 1967, totaled 53 employees and $741,643 gross per annum or an average salary of $13,993 each. As you know, of course, these are the so-called regular committee employees and do not include people employed under special and select investigating and study funds allocated from time to time by special resolutions of the House. The gross salaries for the regular committee employees of the 20 standing committees, as of February 28, 1967, was $4,224,851, at an average annual salary of $16,249. If agreeable, I will insert the usual tabulation summarizing the personnel for the 19 standing committees as of February 28, 1967. Mr. STEED. Without objection, the tabulation will be included at this point in this record. (The material follows:) The statement referred to is as follows: Standing committee employees as of Feb. 28, 1967 (other than Committee on Appropriations) Mr. JENNINGS. Since the Reorganization Act of 1946 became effective, the committee has provided funds for the maximum number of positions possible (230), plus the Appropriations Committee, at an approximate average salary sufficient to provide adequate funds for additions to the staffs as the various committees may decide, or for changes in salaries. All salary rates are fixed by each committee. There is, of course, no way of stating definitely at this time just how much money will be required for these positions except that it is believed that the appropriation should be based on the maximum number of positions with an overall gross salary which would give sufficient leeway for reasonable salary changes based on experience. The estimate was prepared with that in mind. Mr. STEED. The resolution for the new standing Committee on Ethics leaves no doubt about the fact that this is the fund from which any staff authorized in the resolution will be paid. Standing committees are generally entitled to employ up to 10 as a rule and of course, several are now entitled to go above that. Mr. JENNINGS. That is correct, yes, sir. That is not included in the estimate, Mr. Chairman. ADEQUACY OF 1967 APPROPRIATION Mr. STEED. As I read this, you will be running fairly tight on the amount of money available between now and June 30 of this year. Do you think there are sufficient funds available to cover whatever impact on this fund the new committee will make between now and June 30? Mr. JENNINGS. Mr. Chairman, I would think that is going to depend upon the actions of the present standing committees, and also upon the Standards Committee as to exactly how fast they will appoint their committee and how fast they will start using the salaries. Too, we do not know how much of this will be used. Mr. STEED. The payroll as of February 28, 1967, was at an annual rate of $4,224,000, which brings it very close to the estimate for 1968 and leaves little margin, the amount for 1968 being $4,300,000. Do you have a later figure? What would the March 31 rate be? Mr. JENNINGS. The committee employees appropriation was $4,300,000 in 1967, and we project that we will have a balance of $108,463.27 as of the end of the fiscal year. Mr. STEED. Is that based on your current rate? Mr. JENNINGS. That is based on our current rate for fiscal 1967. ADEQUACY OF 1968 ESTIMATE Mr. STEED. Would the $4,300,000 for 1968 be sufficient to carry this whole thing on an annual basis? Mr. JENNINGS. I doubt that it would be, Mr. Chairman. I know that would not be sufficient, Mr. Chairman, if all the committees utilized their maximum, which experience has proven they have not. However, we have asked for the maximum and, based on the present expenditure, it would run very close. Mr. STEED. If the new Ethics Committee is activated before we mark up the bill, if you could get some idea from the chairman what he anticipates his annual budget will be and provide that to the committee, it might be of some guidance to us. Mr. JENNINGS. I would like very much to do that. At the time we prepared this budget, the committee had not even been formed. As of now, the resolution has been passed and the committee was appointed today. So, I will attempt to see the chairman and try to get an estimate of what his request will be and bring that back to the committee before the time you mark up the bill. Let me ask you when you anticipate this will be? Mr. JENNINGS. I will contact Mr. Price, who is the chairman of that committee, and try to ascertain his needs, and add it. I think in all probability we will have to ask that this estimate be increased, Mr. Chairman, because if he utilizes the 10 employees authorized and at the maximum salary, we could not meet it. Mr. STEED. At the same time you might make a recap on the latest figure in terms of the present annual rate. Mr. JENNINGS. We will do that as of April 1, which will give us two additional months. Mr. STEED. In that way we can make a better judgment whether the $4.3 million will be sufficient. We would like to make a determination on the basis of the latest payroll data. (The information follows:) As of April 30, 1967 there were 205 employees currently on the rolls of the 20 standing committees referred to at a gross salary of $3.472,836.00 per annum or an average salary of $16,941.00 each as against a maximum authority of 230 positions. The Committee on Appropriations payroll as of April 30, 1967 totaled 53 employees and $739,832.00 gross per annum or an average salary of $13,959.00 each. The gross salary for the regular Committee employees of the 20 standing committees as of April 30, 1967 was $4,212,668.00 at an average salary of $16,328.00. The following letter was sent to Chairman Melvin Price on May 4 and as of this date no reply has been received. It is my understanding that Chairman Price has discussed the future financial needs of his committee with Mr. Livingston of the Disbursing Office, however, since the Committee has not held its first meeting no figures were developed. As soon as I receive a reply from Chairman Price I will forward it to the Appropriations Committee. Hon. MELVIN PRICE, MAY 4, 1967. Chairman, Committee on Standards of Official Conduct, House of Representatives, Washington, D.O. DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: Currently the Committee on Appropriations is holding hearings concerning the budget for the House of Representatives for fiscal year 1968. The Committee has requested that I contact you for an estimate of the amount of funds that will be needed by the newly created Committee on Standards of Official Conduct for the fiscal year 1968. Since the amount involved will depend upon the number of employees, the time of their employment, and other discretionary actions of the Committee, only you as the Chairman will be able to estimate the financial needs of the Committee. As soon as you are able to supply this office with the requested information, I will in turn supply the Appropriations Committee with your estimate. Yours very truly, W. PAT JENNINGS, Clerk, House of Representatives. COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION AND LABOR Mr. STEED. It is my understanding that there have been some very substantial staff changes in the Committee on Education and Labor under the new chairman. Has any of that been in employees affected by this item? Mr. JENNINGS. No, sir. We asked for the maximum that could possibly be provided. That is reflected, however, in our estimate as of March 31. It will also be reflected further in any additions or deletions. Mr. STEED. Some of the savings that are presently stemming from the Committee on Education and Labor would help you make this surplus projection for the balance of fiscal 1967? Mr. JENNINGS. Yes, sir; very definitely. They had four professional staff members and six clerical staff members, for a total of 10 as of February 28, which is the maximum number. I think the real savings will come in the special committees, not on the standing committee, because they were utilizing all 10. APPROPRIATIONS FOR ALL COMMITTEE EMPLOYEES Mr. STEED. Since this particular appropriation item does not cover special and select committee staffing and investigative employees, how much in addition to these positions will we have when we add the two together? What would be the total? Mr. JENNINGS. On all of them, or referring specifically to Education and Labor? Mr. STEED. No; the whole committee picture. Mr. JENNINGS. I will have to supply that for the record, Mr. Chairman. It may be I have it here in some of my figures, but I think it would be better to supply it. (The information follows:) The total requested for 1968 for both types of committee staffs are as follows: For standing committees-- For special and select committees___ Total Mr. YATES. No questions, Mr. Chairman. SPECIAL AND MINORITY EMPLOYEES Mr. STEED. We shall go to the next item. $4,300,000 4, 700, 000 9, 000, 000 Mr. JENNINGS. The next is Special and Minority Employees. |