House Administration Committee adopts organizational rules, appoints officers and subcommittee leaders

The House Administration Committee convened its organizational meeting for the 119th Congress and, by unanimous voice vote, agreed en bloc to eight committee resolutions that set the panel’s rules, subcommittee memberships and several administrative policies.

“The Committee on House Administration will come to order. I note that a quorum is present without objection,” Chairman Stile said as the panel opened the meeting, adding that “the chair is authorized to declare recess at any time.”

The resolutions adopted en bloc include Committee Resolution 119-1 (the committee’s rules for the 119th Congress), 119-2 (appointing majority members to subcommittees), 119-3 (appointing minority members to subcommittees), 119-4 (adopting a parking policy), 119-5 (promulgating mandatory anti‑harassment and anti‑discrimination regulations for House offices), 119-6 (regulations regarding displaying a statement of rights and protections for House employees), 119-7 (implementing the House Retention Through Education Advancement Program, known as REAP), and 119-8 (amending the Congressional Member Organizational Handbook). The committee considered the package en bloc by unanimous consent and the chair declared the resolutions agreed to after the voice vote.

Ranking Member Morelli said he supported the en bloc package but used his opening remarks to press the majority on procedural protections for the minority and for committee operations. “Protection of the rights of the minority, regardless of which party holds the gavel, has been a fundamental principle in the House since its inception,” Morelli said. He urged the committee to enforce requirements that majority witnesses submit written testimony in advance and asked the chair to consult with him before authorizing subpoenas, calling bipartisan consideration of subpoenas “consistent with the committee’s precedent.”

The meeting also included announcements of subcommittee leadership: Rep. Laura Lee was named chair of the Subcommittee on Elections and Rep. Stephanie Bice was named chair of the Subcommittee on Modernization and Innovation. On the minority side, Rep. Terry Sewell was designated ranking member of the Subcommittee on Elections and Rep. Norma Torres was designated ranking member of the Subcommittee on Modernization and Innovation.

The committee named Rep. Laurel Lee vice chair of the full committee “according to rule 1(p),” and appointed Kristen Monteroso as committee clerk “in accordance with rule 14(b) of the rules of the committee,” both actions announced by the chair and entered into the record with letters the chair said would be made available to members. The chair also authorized staff to make technical and conforming changes to the resolutions.

The meeting record noted the committee’s work in the prior (118th) Congress, including 39 full committee and subcommittee hearings on topics such as legislative oversight, election integrity, legislative branch modernization and artificial intelligence, and said the committee had passed the COCO Act into law to allow congressional election observers to monitor elections. The chair closed the meeting with the statement that the committee had no further business and adjourned.

Votes at a glance: Committee Resolution 119-1 through 119-8 — considered en bloc and agreed to by voice vote; specific numeric tallies were not recorded in the transcript and are not specified.