Adopting the Rules of the House of Representatives for the 116th Congress

Floor Speech

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Ms. LOFGREN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of the creation of the Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress, and I encourage all of the House to do the same.

There is precedent for Select Committees like this one. During 1973, in the 93rd Congress, the House created the Select Committee on Committees. And although the Select Committee's mission was to study the structure and operation of House committees, it ultimately made several recommendations to improve House-wide administrative and technology functions.

Among the improvements and modernization steps, the Select Committee suggested that the House form a Commission on Information and Facilities, tasked with responding to the growing number of issues Congress faced, but with limited access to information and analysis.

The Commission also tackled the problem of growing staff needed to support an increased workload, but with limited physical space to accommodate them. The result was an installation of a system of 30 computer terminals for Members of Congress and committees of legislative research.

Now, this seems trivial now, especially when information is in our pockets, in our iPhones, but at the time it was revolutionary for the Congress to be able to get this information on its computers. This is just one example of how a Select Committee made Congress work better.

Following the Select Committee came the election of the Class of 1974. Fueled by the Watergate scandal, the new Members did much to change the Congress. They decentralized power. They invigorated our oversight responsibilities. They began a conversation that would change how we do business forever.

For example, televising the floor proceedings; the 1976 Government in the Sunshine Act. The process they started opened up our democracy to the American people and created a lasting record for history.

This Select Committee has a broad mandate to study how our Congress has changed and is changing. That begins with our changing workforce. We need to invest in our workforce, and that is why the proposal we passed in the rules package yesterday to create the Office of Diversity and Inclusion was so important. This Select Committee will be tasked with studying how we can better recruit, retain, and compensate our staff.

We also must be responsible stewards of public money, and this Select Committee will help us minimize waste and maximize value in how we operate the House.

Now, as has been mentioned, one of the virtues of the Select Committee is its composition. It will be composed of members of the House Administration Committee who have firsthand experience with the details of House administration. There will be members of the Rules Committee, experts in process and procedures who know what works and what doesn't when it comes to an efficient legislative process, and the Select Committee will feature Members in their first term who bring a new perspective and great energy to the House.

Shortly after her election, my home State colleague from California, Representative Katie Porter said: ``Congress wasn't built for Members like me.'' And unfortunately, I think Katie is right. But we can change that, and we will change that. We can give the people's House back to the people.

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Ms. LOFGREN. Well, I do have an additional speaker. I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Lipinski).

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Ms. LOFGREN. Madam Speaker, I am prepared to close.

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Ms. LOFGREN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Congress is a creature of precedent, but we must never be captive to the old ways. The House, the people's body, must continually update and renew itself to meet the challenges facing the Nation and to respond to the needs of a new generation of representatives. This Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress is a way this Congress can identify and address the challenges of tomorrow, and will assist us in boldly meeting these challenges.

The Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress is a way to deal with problems facing this body right now, today. The Select Committee is a way to make sure that my colleague, Katie Porter, works in a Congress built for her and all our new Members.

It is long past time to chart a path forward and to address the problems we must face. I look forward to working with all the members of the Select Committee and congressional stakeholders in transforming the House for the better on a bipartisan basis.

Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

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