Miscellaneous items, 1961-July 1, 1960, to Mar. 31, 1961 Appropriated "Legislative Appropriation Act, 1961," Public Law 86-628, 86th Cong., July 12, 1960, $2,450,000. Nonexpenditure transfer authorization, No. 1397, Nov. 29, 1960, from item Public Law 87-14 (supplemental) Mar. 31, 1961, 87th Cong., $100,000. These allocations will be taken up in their order and explained briefly as follows: (1) Miscellaneous equipment, supplies, and materials, such as hand towels, paper towels, paper cups, toilet paper, soap, cleaning powder, cleaning equipment, and any other miscellaneous articles that may be required. (1A) Photostatic and duplication work, including Members' identification cards. (1B) Official blank checks for the use of the Clerk's Office and the Office of the Sergeant at Arms. (1C) Special office equipment, maintenance, and repairs. (1D) News service, judicial books, tax pamphlets, etc. (2) Newspapers for the Speaker's and Members' lobby. (3) Standard or manual typewriter machines. (3A) Typewriter repairs (manual). (4) Ice. (5) Laundry service, including hand towels, for the House side of the Capitol, and both House Office Buildings. (6) Covers gratuities, as authorized by the legislative Appropriation Act of 1955. (7) Miscellaneous payrolls by House resolutions, payable out of the contingent fund of the House, until otherwise provided by law. (8) Material for folding, in handling speeches, pamphlets, and other necessary work required of the House folding room. (9) Payment of premiums on official bonds required for the protection of the offices and personnel of the Sergeant at Arms, the Clerk of the House, and Postmaster. (10) The House Restaurant, for which $60,000 is specifically provided in the appropriation paragraph for payment to the Architect of the Capitol, as authorized by law, towards the upkeep and operation of the House restaurants. (11) Exchange, operation, and repair of the Clerk's motor vehicles. (12) Exchange, operation, and repairs of the post office motor vehicles. (13) Exchange, operation, and repairs of the folding room motortruck. (14) Hire of automobile for the Sergeant at Arms. (15) Stationery for standing committees, officers, and departments of the House. (16) Electrical and mechanical office equipment for the Members, including committees, officers, and departments of the House. (17) Services and repairs to electrical and mechanical office equipment furnished under allocation No. 16. (18) Rental of office space for Members of Congress in their home districts, as provided in the appropriation paragraph. (19) Official expenses of Members not to exceed $150 quarterly for office expenses incurred outside the District of Columbia. (20) Government contribution for Federal employees' group life insurance. (21) Government contribution for Civil Service Retirement fund. (22) Contested election cases. (23) Former Speaker's automobile. (24) Government contribution for Federal employees' health benefits program. GOVERNMENT CONTRIBUTION FOR FEDERAL EMPLOYEES' HEALTH BENEFITS PROGRAM Mr. STEED. On the item about the Government contribution in connection with the health benefits program, that became effective last July 1, can you give us the rate of participation by employees and what the annual cost is at this time? Mr. HARPER. Yes, sir. As of the end of this past month we had 2,299 people participating in the health program. We had set up $175,000 last year to cover it. It is running a little less than we had estimated. Up until March 31 we had actually expended $90,489.37, leaving a balance of $84,510.63; but we are finding more and more people are participating in the program as it goes along. I am sure we will not utilize this total allocation, but in some of the others, for instance the insurance, it is running high. Of course the average amount contributed by the Government varies somewhat depending on the type of program elected by the employee. Mr. HORAN. It is running about $10,000 a month? MANUAL TYPEWRITERS Mr. STEED. As I recall, last year we had a discussion about the trend from the manual to the electric typewriter, and last year I think you actually spent $1,034 in the manual typewriter field, and your chart shows $5,796 for that item this year. What is the cause of that? Mr. ROBERTS. We are having so many requests for them. Mr. STEED. Does that indicate a trend back from the electric typewriters to the manual typewriters? Mr. ROBERTS. No. These are just old machines that are worn out and they want them replaced. The trend is toward electric typewriters. Mr. MEGILL. Quite a few of the old manual typewriters have had to be replaced. Mr. STEED. Does the adding of this extra clerk also increase the demand on you for new typewriters? Mr. ROBERTS. It has not yet, but it will. I understand the House Administration Committee has already authorized one additional electric typewriter to each Member and two to those who have a constituency of over 500,000. But has not passed the House. Mr. STEED. If that is passed what would it do to this item? CONTESTED ELECTION CASES Mr. STEED. You have an item for contested election cases, $624.25. What is that for? Mr. HARPER. Mr. Chairman, this contested election allocation has been carried in this appropriation bill for a number of years. It is used to pay the expenses incurred by the House Administration Committee in connection with the investigation of these cases. Last year we had $8,000, and I think they paid $4,000 out of that fund, $2,000 each, to two attorneys; and there was an item for printing done here and two or three printing bills to outside firms. We are guided by the House Administration Committee as to what to charge against this item. HOUSE RESTAURANT Mr. STEED. The explanation of the item for the House Restaurant would come from the Architect, I assume? Mr. ROBERTS. That is right. Mr. HARPER. Last year when we discussed it with the Architect he reduced it, but when I asked him this year for an estimate he went back to $35,000. We have a letter from him. Mr. STEED. In this whole list of some 24 miscellaneous items, are there ever any instances where you rejected requests under this heading? Since you have to approve all of them, are there situations where you have authority to disapprove requests? Mr. ROBERTS. Well, we have to make a contract first and if it is in accordance with the contract we pay the vouchers when they are presented. Mr. HARPER. And each voucher is processed through the House Administration Committee for approval before we pay it. In other words, in each case where a voucher is presented for payment it is approved by the House Administration Committee. Mr. HORAN. Off the record. (Discussion off the record.) Mr. STEED. You may proceed. DRAPERIES Mr. Bow. Mr. Chairman, before we leave this subject, I would like to go back to the item of draperies under "Furniture." Mr. ROBERTS. We replaced draperies all the time in committee rooms. Mr. Bow. You do not know where you will put them? Mr. ROBERTS. No. Mr. Bow. Your justifications show $10,000 and your statement shows $6,400. I wondered how you figured these things if you do not know where you will put them. 69462-61--17 Mr. ROBERTS. We installed several draperies for committees last year. Mr. HARPER. Mr. Bow, we stay within the total amount appropriated. We mentioned that packing boxes are costing more, so since this estimate was sent to the committee it was necessary for the Clerk to make a new allocation for furniture taking into account the changes that were taking place. Mr. Bow. So we are trading draperies for packing boxes; is that it? Mr. HARPER. We are staying within the amount appropriated and this is our best judgment of how it might be spent. Mr. STEED. Much of this is a matter that you have to guess on, is that not so? Mr. HARPER. Yes, sir; based on experience and the requests made to the Clerk for these various items. We have made reallocations to conform to what is taking place. We just rearrange these figures to stay within the appropriation. Mr. ROBERTS. We rearranged the figure on carpets because up to last year we had not purchased any carpets for several years. STANDING COMMITTEES EMPLOYEE EXPENSE Mr. Bow. I would like to go back to the item of "Committee Expense" on page 12. I notice from 1954, when the expense was $1,796,720, in the period of 6 years since that time we have increased that from $1.7 million by an additional $1.1 million. That is quite a substantial increase in the cost of operation of committees. I would like to have a breakdown for the record from 1954 bringing it up to date on each committee, the number of employees, the cost of employees, and the total cost of the operation of each committee year by year. Mr. HARPER. I believe that is published quarterly. Mr. Bow. You can condense it easily, then, and insert it in the record at this point. Mr. MEGILL. It is published in the Congressional Record, too. Mr. Bow. Let us get it together so we can have it here and look at it. (NOTE.-The Clerk's office did not supply the information in the form requested in time for inclusion here. It is to be supplied to the committee.) Mr. STEED. Proceed. Mr. ROBERTS. For the fiscal year 1962, we are requesting an appropriation of $2,550,000, the same as that for the current fiscal year, 1961. I again wish to repeat that all of these allocations are with certain exceptions, mostly arbitrary, that may be changed upward or downward, depending upon conditions that may arise throughout the full fiscal year. I might further state for the information of the com |