LEGISLATIVE BRANCH APPROPRIATIONS FOR 1960 HEARINGS BEFORE THE SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS EIGHTY-SIXTH CONGRESS FIRST SESSION SUBCOMMITTEE ON LEGISLATIVE APPROPRIATIONS W. F. NORRELL, Arkansas, Chairman MICHAEL J. KIRWAN, Ohio WALT HORAN, Washington PAUL M. WILSON, Staff Assistant to the Subcommitte STANTO L COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS CLARENCE CANNON, Missouri, Chairman GEORGE H. MAHON, Texas ALFRED E. SANTANGELO, New York JOHN TABER, New York H. CARL ANDERSEN, Minnesota CHARLES RAPER JONAS, North Carolina MELVIN R. LAIRD, Wisconsin ELFORD A. CEDERBERG, Michigan GLENARD P. LIPSCOMB, California KENNETH SPRANKLE, Clerk and Staff Director (II) LEGISLATIVE BRANCH APPROPRIATIONS FOR 1960 WEDNESDAY, MAY 13, 1959. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES WITNESSES RALPH B. ROBERTS, CLERK OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES H. NEWLIN MEGILL, ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT ROBERT H. HARPER, ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT FOR FINANCE AND BUDGET Mr. NORRELL. Gentlemen, the committee will please come to order. We start our legislative appropriation hearings for 1960 this morning. In looking over the items that are being requested in the budget, we find that the total of the request, $105,460,005, not counting the Senate, is below 1959 appropriations by $567,710. That is fine. I hope that fact will be well noted. We have a new member of the subcommittee, Congressman Steed. Congressman Steed was elected to the 81st Congress and has been reelected since that time. We are glad to have Mr. Steed as a member of the committee. I know he will make a great contribution. We have this morning our Clerk, Mr. Roberts, as our first witness. Mr. Roberts, at this time we are glad to have you, and you may proceed with your general statement. GENERAL STATEMENT Mr. ROBERTS. Mr. Chairman, I have been happy to appear before this subcommittee on many occasions. In fact, I believe that this is the ninth time that it has been my privilege to present to you the budget for the House of Representatives. Most of you have served for many years on the legislative subcommittee and are already thoroughly familiar with the basic requirements for this appropriation. Today, I am actually appearing in two capacities. One as Budget Officer for the House of Representatives and the other as Clerk of the House. First, I wish to present to you as fully as I can the overall budget for the House of Representatives; and, Secondly, I am prepared to justify in detail that portion of the budget which relates to the activities of the Office of the Clerk. I shall address myself at this time to the overall budget, reserving for a later time a detailed statement of the functions and operations of the Clerk's Office. While I am generally familiar with the activities of the other offices of the House, I respectfully request that any specific informa |