Advisory Committee on the Records of Congress Sunset Act of 2024

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 9489) to sunset the Advisory Committee on the Records of Congress, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill, H.R. 9489.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 9489, the Advisory Committee on the Records of Congress Sunset Act. This measure will sunset an outdated advisory committee and replace it with meaningful reporting requirements.

The Advisory Committee on the Records of Congress was created in 1990 to assist with management and preservation. Since then, the advisory committee has released six detailed reports and continues to meet semiannually. This advisory committee has successfully met its purpose of advising Congress on records management and preservation.

Today, the House Clerk, Secretary of the Senate, and National Archives representatives regularly connect on records management. This close working relationship renders the regular convening of the advisory committee as a check-the-box exercise.

Based on feedback we received from House officers and advisory committee members, this legislation sunsets the advisory committee and replaces it with reporting requirements of the House, Senate, and Center of the Legislative Archives. This will ensure records management and preservation while saving taxpayer dollars on repetitive convenings.

I would like to take a moment to thank the House Clerk and their team for their work on this advisory committee.

I also would like to recognize the service of Danna Bell, the House Clerk's appointee to the advisory committee, who passed away earlier this year. Ms. Bell was a librarian, archivist, former president of the Society of American Archivists, and a helpful resource for our team as we learned more about this advisory committee. She was a dedicated public servant committed to service. I offer my condolences to her family, friends, and colleagues.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of H.R. 9489, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague, Mr. Morelle, for his work on this. As we all know, in the United States House of Representatives, actually sunsetting almost anything is one of the most challenging projects you can do, and I am proud to say that we have accomplished that with this piece of legislation.

The process involved a lot of work from the Clerk and others to make sure this was done. A little bit of efficiency in the House can go a long way. Take the wins where you get them.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of sunsetting this advisory committee, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 9489. I also echo the words by my colleague and friend, Mr. Steil, regarding the life of Danna Bell, who worked here in the House. She had a long record of many contributions to not only this institution but our country.

I rise in support of H.R. 9489, the bipartisan legislation that would sunset the Advisory Committee on the Records of Congress, allowing us to allocate our limited resources more efficiently. The advisory committee, as my friend has indicated, was established in 1990 and was tasked with reviewing and advising Congress and the National Archives on the management and preservation of congressional records.

The House Clerk, one of the committee's leaders, has suggested it sunset, as it has fulfilled its primary objectives and is no longer necessary for addressing the evolving challenges of preserving congressional records.

Over the past 34 years, advancements in technology and the increasing volume of materials to be preserved have dramatically changed, and the landscape of record preservation has changed with it.

By disbanding this advisory committee, we can redirect valuable resources toward enhancing modern archiving practices while saving taxpayer dollars. As we all know, congressional resources are finite--I think we know that all too well--and need to be used efficiently to ensure the continued success of this institution and its service on behalf of the American people.

I extend my thanks to the House Clerk, the Honorable Kevin McCumber, and his entire team for their leadership on this initiative.

Mr. Speaker, once again, I thank my colleagues and the staff for doing this and for the leadership of the Clerk's Office to find a way for us to end practices that are no longer useful and allow us to be able to focus more on the challenges we face moving forward.

Mr. Speaker, I urge passage of the bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.