February 3, 1993 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS 2087 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS QUESTIONS ABOUT CONGRESS powers doctrine in the Constitution and WHAT ABOUT RETIREMENT BENEFITS? could compromise the autonomy of the legis­ Members of Congress contribute up to 8% lative branch. The House and Senate have of their salaries to retirement, including the HON. LEE H. HAMB.TON taken steps to ensure that their employees congressional pension plan and Social Secu­ OF INDIANA have the same rights and protections as em­ rity. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ployees in the private sector. In 1988 the WHAT ABOUT OTHER "FREEBIES"? House approved a resolution which provides Wednesday, February 3, 1993 House employees and job applicants with I pay for the gas I use to drive to and from Mr. HAMILTON. Mr. Speaker, I would like to protection against discrimination based work, just as my staff and other members of insert my Washington Report for Wednesday, upon race, color, national origin, religion, Congress do; pay $400 a year to use the house sex, handicap, or age. The resolution also gym; pay $10 for my haircuts, and my meals February 3, 1993, into the CONGRESSIONAL are not subsidized. I do not enjoy free use of RECORD: gives employees a full range of remedies, in­ cluding timely hearings, an appeals process, military aircraft, or free golf, tennis and QUESTIONS ABOUT CONGRESS and the right of financial compensation. hunting privileges, and do not receive immu­ Constituents often tell me of their con­ House employees are also covered by the nity from parking tickets, or have the use of cerns about the operation and management overtime and minimum wage requirements military officers' clubs. I do have free park­ of Congress. I usually agree with their of the Fair Labor Standards Act and the em­ ing. views-often to their surprise-but find that ployment provisions of the American with WHY DOES CONGRESS ENJOY FRANKING there is sometimes confusion, and even mis­ Disabilities Act. Better enforcement of these PRIVILEGES? information, over some basic facts. This provisions is still necessary. The frank refers to the practice by which newsletter attempts to set the record members of Congress use their signatures, straight on some of the questions Hoosiers WHAT HAS CONGRESS DONE TO IMPROVE ITS MANAGEMENT PRACTICES? rather than postage, to send mail to con­ commonly ask about Congress. stituents. The founding fathers established The House banking scandal of 1991 spurred HOW MANY PEOPLE WORK IN CONGRESS? the frank in 1775 as an aid in communicating a flurry of reforms. The House voted to ·close with constituents and informing them of im­ Staff in the legislative and executive the House bank, and has adopted a series of branches of government has increased since portant issues facing Congress. Every year reforms to improve Congress' overall oper­ Congress receives over 215 million pieces of the end of World War II, mainly because of ations. The House has hired a non-partisan the growing role of government in our soci­ mail. My offices receives about 29,000 con­ administrator, a former army lieutenant tacts a year. Congress appropriates money ety. However, while the executive branch has general, who is now responsible for managing continued to grow, congressional staffing has every year to reimburse the Postal Service and coordinating all non-legislative services for the use of the frank. In 1990, the House remained relatively stable over the last dec­ and facilities of the House, including man­ ade-with House staff at around 12,000 and greatly reduced the permissible uses of the agement of House accounts, internal mail frank, and then cut its mailing budget by Senate staff at around 7 ,000. There has been delivery, and service employees. The admin­ some dispute about the precise number of istrator is implementing policies that will, 57%. Further cuts are expected this year. people working in the legislative branch. ultimately, abolish patronage hiring in of­ Congressional critics say that Congress em­ fices under his jurisdiction. The House has ploys about 40,000 people. The facts do not also established the post of House Inspector BRAMWELL NATIONAL support this claim. Adding together the staff General responsible for auditing the finan­ HISTORICAL PARK ACT OF 1993 for the House and Senate as well as congres­ cial operations of the administrator and sional support agencies, like the Capitol Po­ other House activities. lice and the Library of Congress the total HON. NICK JOE RAHAIL II staff for the legislative branch in 1991 was DO I ANSWER MY OWN MAIL? OF WEST VIRGINIA 30,622. This marks a 2.2% decline from the I am responsible for all the letters that IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 1979 total. Furthermore, legislative branch leave my offices in Jeffersonville and Wash­ Wednesday, February 3, 1993 staff is tiny when compared to executive ington, D.C. Given the volume of contacts-­ branch departments. Excluding the military, about 550 a week by phone and mail-my Mr. RAHALL. Mr. Speaker, today, I am in­ there are 80 executive branch employees for staff assists me in responding to them. Fol­ troducing legislation to establish, as a unit of every legislative branch employee. Addi­ lowing my directions, my staff answers rou­ the National Park System, the Bramwell Na­ tional cuts are likely in both branches. tine mail. I read most of the letters and com­ tional Historical Park in the State of West Vir­ HOW BIG IS THE CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET? ments from phone calls asking my position ginia. This bill is identical to the legislation I or my views on certain issues, and, working The congressional budget has been cut in with my staff, respond to them. sponsored during the 101 st and 102d Con­ recent years after growing since the 1970s. gresses. The congressional budget for this fiscal year WHAT ABOUT CONGRESSIONAL PERKS? As I have noted in the past, it is my inten­ totals $2.3 billion, a 6.5% cut from last year's On the general issue of perks, my view is tion to seek as part of my southern West Vir­ level. Congress has cut mailing costs and of­ that members of Congress should be treated ginia coal heritage initiative the establishment the same as any other individual-no better, ficial expenses. I agree with constituents of what I like to call the Colonial Williamsburg who say that additional cuts can, and should, no worse. I have consistently supported the be made, but also stress to them that elimi­ elimination of perks. of coal towns. We have been fortunate to find in Bramwell some outstanding, and what I be­ nating all spending on Congress, the Library DO MEMBERS RECEIVE FREE HEALTH CARE? lieve to be nationally significant, historical, cul­ of Congress and support agencies would save Members participate in the same health only 0.2% of the federal budget. Meaningful plans as other federal employees, and pay tural, and architectural values relating to the deficit reduction will require across the the same rates. I pay market rate for health coal mining heritage of southern West Virginia. board cuts in executive branch budgets and, insurance premiums for my wife and me. The proposed Bramwell National Historical more importantly, in entitlement spending. There is not, as many suggest, a free medical Park is envisioned as being a living unit of the WHY DOES CONGRESS EXEMPT ITSELF FROM clinic serving Congress. Members do not re­ National Park System in a manner similar to FEDERAL LAWS? ceive free prescriptions or free hospital care; the Harpers Ferry National Historical Park in Congress does not, and should not, "ex­ they purchase prescriptions and are treated West Virginia. People would continue to make empt" itself from the laws which apply to in hospitals in the commercial market. the area their homes. For this reason, the leg­ the private sector and to the executive There is a physician in attendance at all islation makes a number of specific provisions branch. Certain laws, as applied to Congress, times at the Capitol. Members are required are, and should be, enforced differently for to pay about $500 a year to use the physician. to protect private property rights: acquisition of constitutional reasons. Allowing executive The physician also assists any of the tens of land could only take place with willing sellers branch agencies to enforce federal laws in thousands of visitors who come to the Cap­ and the National Park Service would not have Congress would violate the separation of itol each year who require emergency aid. access to private residential property within e This "bullet" symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor. Matter set in this typeface indicates words inserted or appended, rather than spoken, by a Member of the House on the floor. 2088 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS February 3, 1993 the park without the advice and consent of the the Huntington Museum of Art; and Commis­ resulted in unprecedented growth. Under her owner. sioner Bill Drennen of the West Virginia Divi­ guidance, the museum has seen a major ex­ Development of the park would be outlined sion of Culture and History. pansion in its base of support and the muse­ in a management plan, which would be de­ In addition, as part of the fiscal year 1991 um's collection which documents the American vised by the National Park Service with public appropriation bill for the Interior Department, Jewish experience. Throughout these changes input and through consultation with the with the assistance of Senator ROBERT C. she never lost sight of the museum's original Bramwell National Historical Park Advisory BYRD of West Virginia, we were able to obtain mission: the collection, preservation, and inter­ Committee established by the bill.