The House debated H.R. 10204, the Legislative Branch Agencies Clarification Act, which changes how leaders of the Library of Congress, the Government Publishing Office, and the Copyright Office are chosen and removed. It would put the appointment of the Librarian of Congress and GPO Director in the hands of a bipartisan congressional commission, make the Register of Copyrights a presidential appointment confirmed by the Senate, and reorganize the Copyright Office’s oversight. Griffith, who sponsored the bill, said it makes the Librarian answer to Congress rather than the President and improves cooperation between the Library and the Copyright Office. Morelle, a Democrat, spoke in support, saying the bill is nearly identical to a version the House passed earlier and that keeping the Copyright Office under Congress protects a stable, nonpolitical copyright system. Both members urged passage.Written by AI from the debate. Updated .
“I want the House to pass this bill. It changes how certain leaders in the legislative branch are hired and fired.”
“Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 10204) to modify the appointment and removal process for certain legislative branch officers, and for other purposes. The Clerk read the title of the bill. The text of the bill is as follows: ``300. Definitions.’’. ``306A. Director of the Government Publishing Office; human capital ``501. Government printing, binding, blank-book work, and publishing”
Official Congressional Record
Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 10204) to modify the appointment and removal process for certain legislative branch officers, and for other purposes. The Clerk read the title of the bill. The text of the bill is as follows: ``300. Definitions.’’. ``306A. Director of the Government Publishing Office; human capital ``501. Government printing, binding, blank-book work, and publishing
“I want the House to pass this bill. It lets Congress, instead of the president, pick the leaders of the Library of Congress and the Government Publishing Office. It also lets the president pick the head of the Copyright Office with the Senate's approval.”
“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.”
Official Congressional Record
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.
“I want my colleagues to vote for this bill. It makes the Librarian of Congress answer to Congress instead of the President. It also helps the Library of Congress and the Copyright Office work together better.”
“Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 10204. This is an important bill. It probably won’t get headlines or be the lead story on CNN or FOX tonight. But making sure, as the gentleman from New York said, that we have the Librarian of Congress actually answering to Congress, I think that is important. I think this is a good housekeeping bill in many ways. It does some reform, but it also lets us move forward into the future. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the great work, as I said before, that Mr. Morelle and his team did on getting this bill into a good position. It was a thoughtful exchange. We were just trying to get the bill as good as we could. I would also be remiss if I didn’t recognize my constituent, former Congressman Bob Goodlatte, for his work on trying to make sure that we got the communication lines between the Register of Copyrights and the Librarian of Congress in a good position, as well. As Mr. Morelle pointed out to the body, Mr. Speaker, it is important that both of these institutions remain preeminent in their fields and that they work together, hand in glove, even though one is legislative and one is executive. Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support the bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.”
Official Congressional Record
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 10204. This is an important bill. It probably won’t get headlines or be the lead story on CNN or FOX tonight. But making sure, as the gentleman from New York said, that we have the Librarian of Congress actually answering to Congress, I think that is important. I think this is a good housekeeping bill in many ways. It does some reform, but it also lets us move forward into the future. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the great work, as I said before, that Mr. Morelle and his team did on getting this bill into a good position. It was a thoughtful exchange. We were just trying to get the bill as good as we could. I would also be remiss if I didn’t recognize my constituent, former Congressman Bob Goodlatte, for his work on trying to make sure that we got the communication lines between the Register of Copyrights and the Librarian of Congress in a good position, as well. As Mr. Morelle pointed out to the body, Mr. Speaker, it is important that both of these institutions remain preeminent in their fields and that they work together, hand in glove, even though one is legislative and one is executive. Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support the bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.
