17 4 JAN 28 Copy 1050 [No. 1] ORGANIZATION OF THE HOUSE ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, COMMITTEE ON ARMED SERVICES, Washington, D.C., Wednesday, January 21, 1959. The committee met at 10 a.m., Hon. Carl Vinson, chairman of the committee, presiding. The CHAIRMAN. Let the committee come to order. I congratulate each of you upon your election to the Congress and to the membership of this committee. This is the first meeting of the House Armed Services Committee in the 86th Congress, and our sole purpose today is to organize the committee. The beginning of the 86th Congress marks 12 years of devoted effort by this committee in defense of America and the free world. It also signals the continuation of those same devoted efforts in the future. During the past 12 years the committee has carried a heavy responsibility. When the committee was originally created it was thought and devoutly hoped that the Nation was facing a long period of peace. However, for the entire period of this committee's existence we have been faced with the sobering and vexing problems of war, both hot and cold. Perhaps this is the reason that the leadership of the House has made this the largest standing legislative committee in the entire Congress. As in the 85th Congress, we will continue to have 37 members. We will have 23 members representing the majority and 14 members representing the minority. Thirty of the members have been reelected to this committee. Seven members have been elected to the committee for the first time. At this time I want to extend a particular welcome to our new members, and to take this opportunity to present each of them to the committee. I will ask each one, as I read his name, to stand so the members can Mr. Samuel S. Stratton, of New York. [Applause.] Members of the committee, I know that the older members fully realize the heavy responsibilities of this committee. But, I want to 31066-59-No. 1 (1) stress to them, and particularly to the new members, the fact that more than 60 cents out of every tax dollar will continue to be spent directly or indirectly in support of national defense. Much of this expenditure must first be authorized by this committee. But even in those cases where new authorization is not required, the subject matter will remain in the jurisdiction of this committee and we will have a continuing responsibility. On this committee there is no room for narrow or partisan considerations. As in the past, our sole objective is the defense of America. Our legislative program for the first session is beginning to take form. Among other legislative proposals we will consider the following not necessarily in order, but this is what we will have to deal with: 1. Extension of the Universal Military Training and Service Act, commonly known as the Draft Act. 2. Extension of the Dependents' Assistance Act. 3. Extension of the so-called Doctors' Draft Act, and special pay for specified categories. 4. Further suspension of the limitation on the size of our military forces in peacetime. 5. Extension of the 6-month enlistment program in support of our Reserve forces. 6. Extensive amendments to the Uniform Code of Military Justice. 7. A military construction authorization bill which will probably involve in excess of $1 billion in new authorizations. There will be many other bills, but I think this will give each of you some assurance that you will be busy during the 86th Congress. While it may surprise the reelected members and come as some shock to the new members, I would like to give you a short résumé of our activities in the 85th Congress. All of our work will be important to the national defense and to the morale and welfare of our military personnel. By the same token, it will be of much interest to the general public. It will require the best efforts of all of us to give proper consideration to the committee's business in a timely and intelligent manner. In this connection, I want to say something about the attendance of members to full committee and subcommittee meetings. Each of you has a responsibility to attend all meetings of the committee and its subcommittees, in accordance with your assignment. The honor of being a member of this committee carries with it a commensurate responsibility. I know you will not shirk that responsibility. Under the rules of the House, it is required that we maintain an accurate record of the business transacted by the committee. This includes a record of each member's attendance. That record is a public record. It is available to the press upon request, except for matters involving national security. So, the record which each of you will make is strictly a matter of personal responsibility. At the beginning of each session of the Congress it is normal procedure for the committee to be briefed on the overall military situation by appropriate representatives of the Department of Defense. I had hoped to begin such a briefing on January 26, but other considerations have made it necessary to start the briefing on February 2. Due to this change in schedule, the week of January 26 becomes available for committee work. Therefore, on January 26, next Monday, the full committee will begin the consideration of the extension of the Draft Act, H.R. 2260, an administration and departmental bill, and other pertinent items in that bill. I hope we will be able to report that bill within a week. In the event the bill is not reported during that week, we will suspend hearings on the bill in order to begin the military briefing on February 2. In the past the military briefing has required about 1 week. It will give all of us the current status of our military forces, and their plans for the future. In general, it will give us a most valuable background of information which will be important to all of us in our future efforts in behalf of national defense. Because those hearings will involve a great deal of classified information, it will be necessary to conduct them in closed session. However, it will continue to be my policy to conduct a maximum amount of the committee's business in open session. Most of the witnesses who appear during the military briefing will have prepared statements which are classified. I have requested that such witnesses bring a nonclassified version of their prepared statement. I will release the nonclassified version to the press. This will insure that the maximum information consistent with security. considerations will be released to the public. As in the past, I take this position because the people of this Nation are paying the bill. This is their country and we must inform them where we stand on matters of national defense, to the maximum extent consistent with national security. Now, members of the committee, I want to say a word of caution in connection with classified or security information received by the committee during the course of its work. It is true that some of the information which we receive under security classification often appears in public print. But, I want to stress the fact that it is not within the responsibility or authority of this committee to declassify documents or information submitted to us under classification. If the Defense Establishment should lapse into a policy which produces overclassification or improper classification, we should change the policy. But unless and until that is done, it shall be the policy of this committee to respect the classification. Now, members of the committee, I again want to extend to you my warmest welcome and sincere congratulations. While I am mindful that we will work together in the accomplishment of our objectives, I want to give special recognition to the harmonious and cooperative relationship which has and will continue to exist between me and the ranking minority member, Mr. Arends. I am deeply grateful for his cooperation and the cooperation of the minority. At this time I would like to recognize Mr. Arends. Mr. ARENDS. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman and members of the committee, I wholeheartedly concur in what was said by the chairman in respect to this great committee and our individual responsibilities in performance of the work and heavy tasks that we have before us. I, too, want to extend a welcome to each and every new member of this committee and, as they used to say in the Navy, "Gentlemen, we are glad to have you aboard." Mr. VAN ZANDT. Aboard. Mr. ARENDS. Frankly, Mr. Chairman, before that certain fateful Tuesday last November I thought the American people would decide that I should occupy your chair and that what is now a minority of 14 members on this committee would be even more than your majority of 23. Why the people decided as they did I simply do not understand. But, insofar as our Committee on Armed Services is concerned, we organize on political party lines solely because of necessity. In our deliberations and in our decisions, however, there is no center aisle. There is no minority and no majority. As a committee, vested with the responsibility for establishing, maintaining, and overseeing our national defense, we do not think in any terms except what is best for our country. That has been the long-established policy of this committee, in which all of us take pride and which has gained for this committee the respect and confidence of every Member of Congress. To be sure, we have our differences of opinion as to what should be done or not done. That is as it should be. That is a healthy condition. It is the clash of opinions that makes for sound laws. We have our committee family arguments, so to speak. But when we go to the floor of the House with our recommendation those arguments have been settled and we usually go as a unit. At no time, under no circumstances, has this committee ever presented to the House any bill on what may be said to be on a partisanship basis. Mr. Chairman, for many years I have served under you. It has been a great privilege to serve on this great committee headed by such an outstanding chairman, the outstanding chairman in the House of Representatives, without question. [Applause.] You have always been fair. From time to time we have differed on certain matters, but they have always been honest differences of opinion. And you have always recognized that there can be these honest differences. I am sure I speak for every member of the minority when I pledge to you our fullest cooperation in discharging our grave responsibilities for the defense of our country against all enemies. [Applause.] The CHAIRMAN. Thank you very much, Mr. Arends. [Further applause.] I appreciate the remarks. I want to say that you were correct when you stated there is no majority or no minority in this committee. We are a team and we are working with one objective, and that is the welfare of this United States, our Government, and everything relating to its defense. Now for the next order of business: I will recognize Mr. Kilday. Mr. KILDAY. Mr. Chairman, I offer a resolution for the adoption of the rules of the committee in 86th Congress and ask it be read by Mr. Smart. The CHAIRMAN. Read the rules. Mr. SMART. Committee Resolution No. 1 on committee rules: Resolved, That the Committee on Armed Services, House of Representatives, adopt the following rules governing the procedure for the committee: 1. The Committee on Armed Services will meet every Tuesday at 10 a.m. and at such other times as may be fixed by the chairman or by the written request of a majority of the members of the committee. 2. A Tuesday meeting of the committee may be dispensed with by the chairman, but such action may be reversed by a written request of a majority of the members. 3. No general proxies may be used for any purpose. A member may vote by special proxy, which must be in writing, dated, signed by the member, and clearly identify the member to whom the proxy is given. The proxy must be filed with the chief counsel of the committee and must identify the particular bill or resolution and amendments hereto, motion, or other specific matter under consideration. A proxy may not be used for the purpose of establishing a quorum. A proxy may be used in subcommittee or in full committee. 4. No measure or recommendation shall be reported or tabled by the committee unless a majority of the committee is actually present. 5. A rollcall of the members may be had upon the request of three or more members. 6. The chairman shall have authority to refer all bills, resolutions, or other matters to any and all subcommittees or to the full committee. A subcommittee to which a bill, resolution, or other matter has been referred shall proceed with all possible diligence, if a majority of a quorum so directs, with appropriate inquiry and report its findings and recommendations to the full committee, but the chairman of the full committee shall have authority to discharge a subcommittee from consideration of any bill, resolution, or other matter referred thereto and have such measure or matter considered by the full committee. A majority vote of a quorum of a subcommittee will be required to report a bill, resolution, or other matter to the full committee or to table any such measure or matter in the subcommittee. 7. The chairman and the ranking minority member shall serve as ex officio members of all subcommittees and shall have the right to vote on all matters before the subcommittees. 8. Any member of the full committee may have the privilege of sitting with any subcommittee during its hearings or deliberations and participate therein but shall not have the authority to vote at such hearings or deliberations unless a member of such subcommittee. 9. Reports and recommendations of a subcommittee shall not be considered by the full committee until after the intervention of 3 calendar days from the time the report is submitted and printed hearings thereon are available to the members, except that this rule may be waived by a two-thirds vote of a quorum of the committee. 10. Bills will be taken up for hearing only when called by the chairman of the committee or subcommittee, or by a majority vote of a quorum of the committee or subcommittee. A majority of the committee or subcommittee shall constitute a quorum. 11. When a witness is before the committee, members of the committee may put questions to the witness only when they have been recognized by the chairman for that purpose. 12. Members of the committee will have not to exceed 10 minutes to question witnesses, except that this rule may be waived in the discretion of the chairman. 13. Questions put to witnesses before the committee shall be pertinent to the bill or other subject matter that may be before the committee for consideration. 14. The time any one member may address the committee on any bill, motion, or other matter under consideration by the committee will be limited to 10 minutes, and then only when he has been recognized by the chairman, except that this time limit may be waived in the discretion of the committee. 15. No private bill will be reported by the committee if there are two or more dissenting votes. Private bills so rejected by the committee will not be reconsidered during the same Congress unless new evidence sufficient to justify a new hearing has been presented to the Congress. |