What This Bill Does
This resolution gives the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs money and authority to operate from March 1, 2023, through February 28, 2025. The committee gets permission to spend money from the Senate's contingent fund (a reserve of taxpayer money set aside for unexpected expenses), hire staff, and use government agency employees to help with its work.
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Who It Affects
- The Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
- Senate staff who work for the committee
- Federal government agencies that may provide personnel (staff members) to help the committee
- The Senate's overall budget
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Key Provisions
- The committee can spend money from the Senate's contingent fund, hire workers, and use government employees from other agencies with permission. (Sec. 1)
- The committee can hold hearings, investigate government operations, and make inquiries as permitted by Senate rules. (Sec. 4(a))
- The committee and its subcommittees can issue subpoenas (court orders requiring attendance or production of documents), administer oaths (formal promises to tell the truth), and take testimony from witnesses. (Sec. 4(c))
- The committee may study fraud, waste, mismanagement, organized crime, and the efficiency of government operations in various areas including national security and energy management. (Sec. 4(a))
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What Changes
If this becomes law, the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs receives official authorization and funding to operate for a specific two-year period. The committee gains clear legal authority to conduct investigations, require people to appear as witnesses, and examine government records across all federal agencies and branches of government.
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Important Definitions
**Contingent fund of the Senate:** Money the Senate keeps in reserve for expenses.
**Subpoena:** A formal legal order requiring a person to appear in court or before an official body, or to produce documents.
**Malfeasance:** Wrongful conduct by a government official.
**Misfeasance:** Improper performance of a proper duty.
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Effective Date
The committee's authority and spending begin March 1, 2023, and end February 28, 2025.
III
118TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
S. RES. 43
Authorizing expenditures by the Committee on Homeland Security and
Governmental Affairs.
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
FEBRUARY 9, 2023
Mr. PETERS, from the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental
Affairs, reported the following original resolution; which was referred to
the Committee on Rules and Administration
RESOLUTION
Authorizing expenditures by the Committee on Homeland
Security and Governmental Affairs.
Resolved,
1
SECTION 1. GENERAL AUTHORITY.
2
In carrying out its powers, duties, and functions
3
under the Standing Rules of the Senate, in accordance
4
with its jurisdiction under rule XXV of the Standing Rules
5
of the Senate and Senate Resolution 445 (108th Con-
6
gress), agreed to October 9, 2004, including holding hear-
7
ings, reporting such hearings, and making investigations
8
as authorized by paragraphs 1 and 8 of rule XXVI of the
9
Standing Rules of the Senate, the Committee on Home-
10
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•SRES 43 IS
land Security and Governmental Affairs (in this resolution
1
referred to as the ‘‘committee’’) is authorized from March
2
1, 2023, through February 28, 2025, in its discretion,
3
to—
4
(1) make expenditures from the contingent fund
5
of the Senate;
6
(2) employ personnel; and
7
(3) with the prior consent of the Government
8
department or agency concerned and the Committee
9
on Rules and Administration, use on a reimbursable
10
or nonreimbursable basis the services of personnel of
11
any such department or agency.
12
SEC. 2. EXPENSES.
13
(a) EXPENSES FOR PERIOD ENDING SEPTEMBER 30,
14
2023.—The expenses of the committee for the period
15
March 1, 2023, through September 30, 2023, under this
16
resolution shall not exceed $7,688,429, of which amount—
17
(1) not to exceed $400,000 may be expended
18
for the procurement of the services of individual con-
19
sultants, or organizations thereof (as authorized by
20
section 202(i) of the Legislative Reorganization Act
21
of 1946 (2 U.S.C. 4301(i))); and
22
(2) not to exceed $20,000 may be expended for
23
the training of the professional staff of the com-
24
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•SRES 43 IS
mittee (under procedures specified by section 202(j)
1
of that Act).
2
(b) EXPENSES FOR FISCAL YEAR 2024 PERIOD.—
3
The expenses of the committee for the period October 1,
4
2023, through September 30, 2024, under this resolution
5
shall not exceed $13,180,165, of which amount—
6
(1) not to exceed $400,000 may be expended
7
for the procurement of the services of individual con-
8
sultants, or organizations thereof (as authorized by
9
section 202(i) of the Legislative Reorganization Act
10
of 1946 (2 U.S.C. 4301(i))); and
11
(2) not to exceed $20,000 may be expended for
12
the training of the professional staff of the com-
13
mittee (under procedures specified by section 202(j)
14
of that Act).
15
(c) EXPENSES FOR PERIOD ENDING FEBRUARY 28,
16
2025.—The expenses of the committee for the period Oc-
17
tober 1, 2024, through February 28, 2025, under this res-
18
olution shall not exceed $5,491,734, of which amount—
19
(1) not to exceed $400,000 may be expended
20
for the procurement of the services of individual con-
21
sultants, or organizations thereof (as authorized by
22
section 202(i) of the Legislative Reorganization Act
23
of 1946 (2 U.S.C. 4301(i))); and
24
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•SRES 43 IS
(2) not to exceed $20,000 may be expended for
1
the training of the professional staff of the com-
2
mittee (under procedures specified by section 202(j)
3
of that Act).
4
SEC. 3. EXPENSES AND AGENCY CONTRIBUTIONS.
5
(a) EXPENSES OF THE COMMITTEE.—
6
(1) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in para-
7
graph (2), expenses of the committee under this res-
8
olution shall be paid from the contingent fund of the
9
Senate upon vouchers approved by the chairman of
10
the committee.
11
(2) VOUCHERS NOT REQUIRED.—Vouchers shall
12
not be required for—
13
(A) the disbursement of salaries of employ-
14
ees paid at an annual rate;
15
(B) the payment of telecommunications
16
provided by the Office of the Sergeant at Arms
17
and Doorkeeper;
18
(C) the payment of stationery supplies pur-
19
chased through the Keeper of the Stationery;
20
(D) payments to the Postmaster of the
21
Senate;
22
(E) the payment of metered charges on
23
copying equipment provided by the Office of the
24
Sergeant at Arms and Doorkeeper;
25
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•SRES 43 IS
(F) the payment of Senate Recording and
1
Photographic Services; or
2
(G) the payment of franked and mass mail
3
costs by the Sergeant at Arms and Doorkeeper.
4
(b) AGENCY CONTRIBUTIONS.—There are authorized
5
to be paid from the appropriations account for ‘‘Expenses
6
of Inquiries and Investigations’’ of the Senate such sums
7
as may be necessary for agency contributions related to
8
the compensation of employees of the committee—
9
(1) for the period March 1, 2023, through Sep-
10
tember 30, 2023;
11
(2) for the period October 1, 2023, through
12
September 30, 2024; and
13
(3) for the period October 1, 2024, through
14
February 28, 2025.
15
SEC. 4. INVESTIGATIONS.
16
(a) IN GENERAL.—The committee, or any duly au-
17
thorized subcommittee of the committee, is authorized to
18
study or investigate—
19
(1) the efficiency and economy of operations of
20
all branches of the Government including the pos-
21
sible existence of fraud, misfeasance, malfeasance,
22
collusion, mismanagement, incompetence, corruption,
23
or unethical practices, waste, extravagance, conflicts
24
of interest, and the improper expenditure of Govern-
25
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•SRES 43 IS
ment funds in transactions, contracts, and activities
1
of the Government or of Government officials and
2
employees and any and all such improper practices
3
between Government personnel and corporations, in-
4
dividuals, companies, or persons affiliated therewith,
5
doing business with the Government, and the com-
6
pliance or noncompliance of such corporations, com-
7
panies, or individuals or other entities with the rules,
8
regulations, and laws governing the various govern-
9
mental agencies and its relationships with the public;
10
(2) the extent to which criminal or other im-
11
proper practices or activities are, or have been, en-
12
gaged in the field of labor-management relations or
13
in groups or organizations of employees or employ-
14
ers, to the detriment of interests of the public, em-
15
ployers, or employees, and to determine whether any
16
changes are required in the laws of the United
17
States in order to protect such interests against the
18
occurrence of such practices or activities;
19
(3) organized criminal activity which may oper-
20
ate in or otherwise utilize the facilities of interstate
21
or international commerce in furtherance of any
22
transactions and the manner and extent to which,
23
and the identity of the persons, firms, or corpora-
24
tions, or other entities by whom such utilization is
25
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•SRES 43 IS
being made, and further, to study and investigate
1
the manner in which and the extent to which per-
2
sons engaged in organized criminal activity have in-
3
filtrated lawful business enterprise, and to study the
4
adequacy of Federal laws to prevent the operations
5
of organized crime in interstate or international
6
commerce, and to determine whether any changes
7
are required in the laws of the United States in
8
order to protect the public against such practices or
9
activities;
10
(4) all other aspects of crime and lawlessness
11
within the United States which have an impact upon
12
or affect the national health, welfare, and safety, in-
13
cluding but not limited to investment fraud schemes,
14
commodity and security fraud, computer fraud, and
15
the use of offshore banking and corporate facilities
16
to carry out criminal objectives;
17
(5) the efficiency and economy of operations of
18
all branches and functions of the Government with
19
particular reference to—
20
(A) the effectiveness of present national se-
21
curity methods, staffing, and processes as test-
22
ed against the requirements imposed by the
23
rapidly mounting complexity of national secu-
24
rity problems;
25
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•SRES 43 IS
(B) the capacity of present national secu-
1
rity staffing, methods, and processes to make
2
full use of the Nation’s resources of knowledge
3
and talents;
4
(C) the adequacy of present intergovern-
5
mental relations between the United States and
6
international
organizations
principally
con-
7
cerned with national security of which the
8
United States is a member; and
9
(D) legislative and other proposals to im-
10
prove these methods, processes, and relation-
11
ships;
12
(6) the efficiency, economy, and effectiveness of
13
all agencies and departments of the Government in-
14
volved in the control and management of energy
15
shortages including, but not limited to, their per-
16
formance with respect to—
17
(A) the collection and dissemination of ac-
18
curate statistics on fuel demand and supply;
19
(B) the implementation of effective energy
20
conservation measures;
21
(C) the pricing of energy in all forms;
22
(D) coordination of energy programs with
23
State and local government;
24
(E) control of exports of scarce fuels;
25
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•SRES 43 IS
(F) the management of tax, import, pric-
1
ing, and other policies affecting energy supplies;
2
(G) maintenance of the independent sector
3
of the petroleum industry as a strong competi-
4
tive force;
5
(H) the allocation of fuels in short supply
6
by public and private entities;
7
(I) the management of energy supplies
8
owned or controlled by the Government;
9
(J) relations with other oil producing and
10
consuming countries;
11
(K) the monitoring of compliance by gov-
12
ernments, corporations, or individuals with the
13
laws and regulations governing the allocation,
14
conservation, or pricing of energy supplies; and
15
(L) research into the discovery and devel-
16
opment of alternative energy supplies; and
17
(7) the efficiency and economy of all branches
18
and functions of Government with particular ref-
19
erences to the operations and management of Fed-
20
eral regulatory policies and programs.
21
(b) EXTENT OF INQUIRIES.—In carrying out the du-
22
ties provided in subsection (a), the inquiries of this com-
23
mittee or any subcommittee of the committee shall not be
24
construed to be limited to the records, functions, and oper-
25
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•SRES 43 IS
ations of any particular branch of the Government and
1
may extend to the records and activities of any persons,
2
corporation, or other entity.
3
(c) SPECIAL COMMITTEE AUTHORITY.—For the pur-
4
poses of this section, the committee, or any duly author-
5
ized subcommittee of the committee, or its chairman, or
6
any other member of the committee or subcommittee des-
7
ignated by the chairman is authorized, in its, his, her, or
8
their discretion—
9
(1) to require by subpoena or otherwise the at-
10
tendance of witnesses and production of correspond-
11
ence, books, papers, and documents;
12
(2) to hold hearings;
13
(3) to sit and act at any time or place during
14
the sessions, recess, and adjournment periods of the
15
Senate;
16
(4) to administer oaths; and
17
(5) to take testimony, either orally or by sworn
18
statement, or, in the case of staff members of the
19
Committee and the Permanent Subcommittee on In-
20
vestigations, by deposition in accordance with the
21
Committee Rules of Procedure.
22
(d) AUTHORITY OF OTHER COMMITTEES.—Nothing
23
contained in this section shall affect or impair the exercise
24
of any other standing committee of the Senate of any
25
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•SRES 43 IS
power, or the discharge by such committee of any duty,
1
conferred or imposed upon it by the Standing Rules of
2
the Senate or by the Legislative Reorganization Act of
3
1946.
4
(e) SUBPOENA AUTHORITY.—All subpoenas and re-
5
lated legal processes of the committee and any duly au-
6
thorized subcommittee of the committee authorized under
7
Senate Resolution 70 (117th Congress), agreed to Feb-
8
ruary 24, 2021, are authorized to continue.
9
Æ
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