Providing for Consideration of H.R. 5521, Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2007

PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 5521, LEGISLATIVE BRANCH APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2007 -- (House of Representatives - June 07, 2006)

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Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I cannot recall the last time I came to the House floor to say anything good about a rule, but the fact of the matter is this is a good rule. Every Member who brought an amendment before the Rules Committee, their amendment has been made in order. So this is a good rule.

We have no speakers, we are not requiring any votes, and I want to thank the gentleman from Utah for bringing this to the floor.

I rise today in support of the FY 2007 Legislative Branch Appropriations bill. I commend Chairman LEWIS and Ranking Member OBEY, as well as the rest of the Appropriations Committee, for all their hard work on this legislation.

Historically, the Legislative Branch Appropriations bill is not considered under an open process like the other appropriations bills. Instead, the House usually considers this bill under a closed process. However, even though the Rules Committee reported a restrictive rule again, this year every amendment offered in the Rules Committee was made in order.

Mr. Speaker, it's refreshing that this bill is a bipartisan product of the legislative process, a true rarity under this Republican leadership. The Republican leadership should look to this bill as a lesson in how this body should be run. Sunshine should be let it. Amendments should be made in order. Mr. Speaker, as much as possible, the process should be open.

The fact that Mr. OBEY and others had questions regarding the operations at the Office of the Architect of the Capitol was valid and was heard. With unanimous support in Committee, Ranking Member OBEY's amendment putting the Comptroller General in direct control over the office of the Architect of the Capitol and the establishment of an Office of the Inspector General in the Office of the Architect of the Capitol was offered and adopted. The rule protects that amendment from being struck from the bill.

Mr. Speaker, with an ever growing deficit of $9 billion, I think even my good friend and colleague, Congressman FLAKE, would agree with me in the right to question where funds have been spent on the new Capitol Visitors Center. Now, I realize the cost is often never close to the estimate; however, this project was originally budgeted at $265 million and the new projected cost estimate is $556 million. That is $25 million more than double the cost and we are not finished. Completion dates and costs seem to just be getting later and higher.

The rest of the budget for the Legislative Branch seems to get it right. Small overall increases help keep Congress functioning. With a $110 million increase from FY06, this bill provides for 50 new Government Accountability Office, GAO, investigators to provide for increased oversight in gulf coast reconstruction and the war in Iraq. Providing for a strong and properly funded GAO is important, especially when considering that oversight is nonexistent in this Republican-controlled House.

Again, I would like to thank Chairman LEWIS and Ranking Member OBEY for their hard drafting this legislation and for their commitment to this body.

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