Expressing the sense of Congress that Members' Congressional papers should be properly maintained and encouraging Members to take all necessary measures to manage and preserve these papers.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Con. Res. 307, which expresses the sense of the Congress that congressional papers should be properly maintained and encourages Members to take all necessary measures to manage and preserve these papers.

This is a very important issue, and one that I am also delinquent on, as I suspect most Members are. At various times I have encouraged my staff to be certain that we take proper care of papers, that we maintain them, and that they are available for archiving once we leave office. But yet, it is a very difficult task to do this on a day-to-day basis and remember to do it.

Let me also bemoan the fact that the executive branch has been subjected to lawsuits on this isssue, and the courts have declared they must save every little piece of paper, every message, and they are open to scrutiny and subpoena at any time in the future. The net effect of this is that the White House puts hardly anything down on paper, a practice that was developed in the previous administration as well. That is unfortunate. We should have the freedom to express our thoughts freely and make certain that they are preserved in a fashion that prevents them from being used improperly in future times.

As Members of Congress, we are routinely faced with an abundance of notes, letters, and other papers that cross our desk each day. For each of us, there is a temptation to rid ourselves of today's notes and papers and begin each day anew, free from the scourge of clutter. And I know my office certainly should be more free of clutter. It would be easiest to discard these items along with rest of the day's castoffs, but as history has shown us, it is often these mundane items that have painted the most accurate and detailed picture of our Nation's history.

These papers and their contents separately may tell us very little about the place and time in which they were created, but they are threads that, when woven together, create the fabric of our democracy.

While congressional papers are the property and responsibility of the Member, the Clerk of the House and the Secretary of the Senate stand ready to assist Members of Congress in the disposition and handling of these materials. I urge all of my colleagues to join me in the effort to retain congressional documents, and in doing so, preserve a piece of history for the sake of our individual and collective posterity.

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

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 307) expressing the sense of Congress that Members' Congressional papers should be properly maintained and encouraging Members to take all necessary measures to manage and preserve these papers.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks in the Record on H. Con. Res. 307.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, it is very easy for Members to get caught up in the day- to-day responsibilities of their job. In between regular correspondence, speeches, and vote recommendations, Members accumulate a lot of paper. Most will not give consideration to the importance of this paper until the end or middle of their careers.

The papers generated by Members while in office reflect the issues of the day and are of historical benefit to students, scholars, and citizens in understanding the role of the House of Representatives in the Federal Government.

Mr. Speaker, H. Con. Res. 307 is a concurrent resolution that reminds Members of the importance of maintaining and archiving their papers so that future leaders and citizens of history may learn and understand the decisions that we have made. I urge passage of H. Con. Res. 307.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

I thank the ranking member, Mr. Ehlers, for your cooperation. It is a pleasure working with you from day to day.

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

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of Calendar No. 705, H. Con. Res. 307.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the concurrent resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, and the motions to reconsider be laid upon the table, with no intervening action or debate, and that any statements related to this measure be printed in the Record.