H. Morgan Griffith

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Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, my bill, H.R. 10204, the Legislative Branch Agencies Clarification Act, makes important reforms for several vital institutions that serve Congress and the American people, including the Library of Congress, the Government Publishing Office, and the United States Copyright Office. The bill is not to be confused with H.R. 6028, although they are substantially similar, which passed the House by a voice vote in June with widespread bipartisan support and contains the same provisions as H.R. 10204. The underlying text contains two small technical corrections that committee staff and I added to ensure the smooth implementation of the legislation's key provisions, and I think we have agreement on that. At its core, the bill is about ensuring that agencies of the legislative branch are governed in a manner consistent with our constitutional system, improving continuity in leadership, and strengthening congressional oversight. Though the Librarian of Congress and Director of the Government Publishing Office belong to the legislative branch, their leadership is currently appointed by the President. This legislation removes structural inconsistencies by establishing a congressional appointment framework for the Librarian of Congress and the Director of the Government Publishing Office. Under the bill, bipartisan recommendations will be provided by the leadership of the House Administration Committee and the Senate Rules Committee, with final selections made by congressional leadership. These changes are not unprecedented, and they closely mirror the bipartisan appointment process Congress adopted for the Architect of the Capitol, which granted congressional control over a key legislative branch institution. Additionally, because of the executive nature of the U.S. Copyright Office, this bill provides that the Register of Copyrights will be appointed by the President, with the advice and consent of the Senate, while keeping a close relationship between the Register of Copyrights and the Librarian of Congress. The Legislative Branch Agencies Clarification Act modernizes leadership structure and clarifies lines of authority so that we can strengthen the institutions that support Congress and ensure they are positioned to serve this body effectively for years to come. Mr. Speaker, this bill is very much like 6028. As I said, there are two minor technical changes in there. We wouldn't have gotten the base done without bipartisan support. I thank Mr. Morelle for his hard work on helping us improve this bill through the process. We have actually worked on this for well over a year now, trying to get it correct. In all fairness, Mr. Speaker, to satisfy some of our friends on the other side of the building, we made two little technical changes that I think will make them happy. We were already happy. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.