Providing amounts from the applicable accounts of the House of Representatives for continuing expenses of standing and select committees of the House from April 1, 2003, through April 11, 2003.

Mr. Speaker, I offer a resolution (H. Res. 163) providing amounts from the applicable accounts of the House of Representatives for continuing expenses of standing and select committees of the House from April 1, 2003, through April 11, 2003, and ask unanimous consent for its immediate consideration in the House.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from Connecticut for yielding.

The Committee on House Administration in conjunction with the Speaker's office, our ranking member, and all the members of the Committee on House Administration continue to work towards a final resolution that will ultimately provide House committees with a permanent funding resolution for the 108th Congress. House rules contain an interim funding provision that provides a temporary funding mechanism to fund committees until a permanent committee funding resolution is passed. The deadline set by the House rules is March 31. However, negotiations on the 2004 budget resolution delayed work on the committee budget resolution which will make it impossible to pass this resolution by the March 31 deadline set forth in the House rules. As a result, we are seeking unanimous consent to pass a temporary funding resolution which would temporarily fund committees after the March 31 deadline and until a permanent funding resolution is passed.

I also want to thank the tremendous communication, cooperation of the gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Larson), our ranking member, and the members of the committee who diligently worked together to achieve a funding document that will be able to allow the committees of the House to do their job, respond to the citizens of the United States, and carry on the very important work of the House committees.

Mr. Speaker, if the gentleman will yield further, to answer the ranking member's question, it has absolutely zero impact. Our ranking member has made it crystal clear, and we understand that there will be the two-thirds/one-third. We appreciate that. We appreciate our Chairs cooperating fully on that and the ranking member. So there will be zero impact on the two-thirds/one-third ratio.

Mr. Speaker, if the gentleman will yield further, the gentleman is correct. We have a very unique situation in this funding resolution; and I have been here 8 years, and for one of the first times we have a major committee, which is important, and has been created, and now we have to do the funding for it. So this year our ranking member and me and the members of the committee had even a bigger task to set up the funding, the process for that committee for the gentleman from California (Chairman Cox) and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Turner), ranking member, and to make sure that important committee can function and that it really is considered absolutely outside the box.

Mr. Speaker, reserving the right to object, I yield to the gentleman from Ohio (Chairman Ney) to explain.

Mr. Speaker, further reserving the right to

object, again let me applaud the chairman and the staff and the committee for their outstanding work in echoing the comments of our Chair, and if the Chair would engage me in a short dialogue, this extension has no impact on the well thought-out plan of the two-thirds/ one-third distribution in the committee that all the Chairs and ranking members had agreed to over the course; is that correct?

Mr. Speaker, continuing that dialogue, it is our understanding as well that as we proceed down this course that the Special Select Committee on Homeland Security has been treated outside of this process as well; is that correct?

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Ohio for clarifying that. The distinguished chairman again has done an outstanding job in putting this together.

Mr. Speaker, I withdraw my reservation of objection.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent for the immediate consideration of the resolution (H. Res. 185) extending the period of availability of amounts for continuing expenses of standing and select committees of the House through May 9, 2003.

Reserving the right to object, Mr. Speaker, we have no objection. We are in concurrence.

Mr. Speaker, I withdraw my reservation of objection.

The Speaker pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Ohio?

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks on H. Res. 163.