Congressional Hearings
LEGISLATIVE BRANCH APPROPRIATIONS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2012
Congressional Hearings
SuDoc ClassNumber: Y 4.AP 6/2
Congress: Senate
CHRG-112shrg19104472
| AUTHORITYID | CHAMBER | TYPE | COMMITTEENAME |
|---|---|---|---|
| ssap00 | S | S | Committee on Appropriations |
[Senate Hearing 112-]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
LEGISLATIVE BRANCH APPROPRIATIONS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2012
----------
THURSDAY, MAY 12, 2011
U.S. Senate,
Subcommittee of the Committee on Appropriations,
Washington, DC.
The subcommittee met at 1:30 p.m., in room SD-138, Dirksen
Senate Office Building, Hon. Ben Nelson (chairman) presiding.
Present: Senators Nelson and Hoeven.
U.S. SENATE
Office of the Secretary
STATEMENT OF HON. NANCY ERICKSON, SECRETARY OF THE
SENATE
ACCOMPANIED BY:
CHRIS DOBY, FINANCIAL CLERK
SHEILA DWYER, ASSISTANT SECRETARY
OPENING STATEMENT OF SENATOR BEN NELSON
Senator Nelson. The subcommittee will come to order. Good
afternoon, everyone, and welcome.
My colleague Senator Hoeven has an Energy Task Force
meeting at this point in time. We have a 2 o'clock vote. So,
what will happen is, I will go until 2 o'clock, then we'll
recess for however long it takes me to go and vote, and then
hopefully the Senator will be able to join us after.
We meet, this afternoon, to take testimony on the fiscal
year 2012 budget request for the Secretary of the Senate,
Senate Sergeant at Arms (SAA), and the U.S. Capitol Police
(USCP). This is our fourth and final hearing for fiscal year
2012.
I want to welcome our three witnesses today: Nancy
Erickson, Secretary of the Senate; Terrance W. Gainer, Senate
Sergeant at Arms; and Phillip D. Morse, Sr., Chief of the
Capitol Police.
I want to start, today, by acknowledging the dedication and
hard work of all of your staff. The services provided by many
of your employees are rarely seen, but are highly relied upon
for the day-to-day operation of the Senate. I know that the
Senate is a very demanding place to work often requiring long
hours, under extraordinary pressure. And we sometimes are
accused of being high maintenance. But, I want you to know that
we sincerely appreciate everyone's work, and we're grateful to
all of the men and women who keep the Senate running safely and
smoothly every day.
I'd like to reiterate a few points that were made during
our first three hearings this year. My goal, going into fiscal
year 2011, was to hold the legislative branch flat; and I'm
proud to say that, despite the challenges we face, we've
surpassed that goal by cutting just more than $100 million
below the fiscal year 2010 enacted level. Furthermore, we have
accomplished this without requiring the agencies that assist us
in our day-to-day operations to implement, ``reductions in
force''. And, as you may have heard, in fiscal year 2012 I plan
to cut even further below the fiscal year 2011 number so that
we can lead by example on this subcommittee, when it comes to
getting our fiscal house in order. Putting forth a reasonable,
responsible budget for the legislative branch in fiscal year
2012 is my number one priority.
Ms. Erickson, we are pleased to have you here this
afternoon. I look forward to hearing your testimony. For fiscal
year 2012, your office is requesting a total of $32 million,
which is the same level of funding recently provided to your
office in the fiscal year 2011 continuing resolution. I realize
this level of funding is a reflection of the transfer of a $4.2
million Senate Information System (SIS), last year, to your
office from the SAA. I look forward to hearing more about the
specifics of your budget request and receiving an update on the
progress of the new Senate payroll system.
Mr. Gainer, first, I want to commend you for your smart
thinking, earlier this year, when you hired Nancy Olkewicz.
We've all benefited from her steadfast dedication and
loyalty to the United States Senate. And we continue to get
that now, as she works with the Appropriations Committee, and
this subcommittee, in particular. I'm certain you've already
benefited tenfold from the detailed knowledge and understanding
of this institution that she has brought with her to the new
job.
We're still recovering from our loss of her here on this
subcommittee, but Lila Helms is doing an outstanding job. It
happens to be her birthday today. The SAA request for 2012
totals $219 million, an increase of $214,000 more than the
recently enacted fiscal year 2011 level. I look forward to
hearing an update on the relocation of your printing, graphics,
and direct mail shop, and any security-related updates that you
may have to share with us.
Finally, Chief Morse, your fiscal year 2012 request totals
$387.6 million, which is an increase of $47 million, or 14
percent, more than the recently enacted fiscal year 2011 level.
I also want to note that, when it came to setting the fiscal
year 2011 levels, every agency, with the exception of the USCP
and the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), took a cut in
funding. You received a $12 million increase more than the 2010
funding level. Granted, much of this increase was to annualize
the funding correction, due to a salary miscalculation at the
department in fiscal year 2010. We will need to look carefully
at this request, given just how tight budgets are going to be
in fiscal year 2012. In particular, we'll be reviewing the
seven or so new initiatives you've identified, to see where we
might be able to realize some savings. I also look forward to
receiving an update on the radio modernization project from
you, as well.
Now I'd like to begin with the witnesses. I'd appreciate if
you might be able to keep your opening remarks to about 5
minutes, and submit the rest of your statements for the record.
Ms. Erickson, we'll start with you, and then we'll hear
from Mr. Gainer, and then Chief Morse.
SUMMARY STATEMENT OF NANCY ERICKSON
Ms. Erickson. Chairman Nelson, I appreciate this
opportunity to provide testimony on behalf of the Office of the
Secretary and its employees. I'm joined today by Sheila Dwyer,
the Assistant Secretary, and Chris Doby, our Financial Clerk,
who provides the steady hand in overseeing the Senate
Disbursing Office.
Since 1789, the Secretary of the Senate has been tasked
with legislative, financial, and administrative
responsibilities to support the Senate. I was reminded of our
office's historic role in supporting the Senate during new
Member orientation, when I had the opportunity to accompany our
new Senators and their spouses to the National Archives
legislative vault, where some of the Senate's earliest records
are stored. We looked, in awe, at the very first Senate
journal, and noted the Secretary's constitutional
responsibility in documenting the Senate's very first day of
business on March 4, 1789. Admiring the first Secretary of the
Senate's beautiful handwriting, I must say that I'm grateful
that this constitutional responsibility is carried out by our
Senate Journal Clerks who can rely on laptops to compile the
Senate Journal.
This year, I'm requesting $31,990,000 to support the
operations of the Office of the Secretary. This includes
$25,790,000 for salaries, $2 million for operations, and $4.2
million for the SIS program.
I'd like to highlight three points. First, the budget
request includes no increase for salaries or operations.
Second, the operating budget for the administration of the SIS
program, operations of which were assumed by this office last
year, is also unchanged. Finally, I would be remiss if I did
not point out that our 2012 budget request for operations is
the same as our 2008 appropriation.
Getting to this number has required careful assessments of
not only how we use our financial resources, but also how we
efficiently and effectively deploy our human resources. I'm
very proud of our 26 department managers and our accounts
administrator, who have been careful stewards of our resources,
and who have committed themselves to rethinking how we work,
with the goal of continuing superior service to the Senate.
Compared to the budgets of our legislative branch partners,
the Office of the Secretary's budget is small. However, we're
fortunate that we're structured in a way that allows our office
to operate efficiently. One example of this is our relationship
with the Senate SAA in the area of information technology (IT).
We rely on the SAA for our IT support requirements, ranging
from the technical support for our payroll and financial
systems to our enormous databases in the Office of Public
Records, which includes Senate campaign reports, financial
disclosure filings, travel reports, as well as registrant and
lobbyist filings under the Lobbying Disclosure Act, as amended.
We appreciate this relationship and underscore the importance
of these systems in carrying out our congressional mandates.
As you know, the SIS program was established by regulation
by the Rules Committee in 1987 to provide all Senate offices
access to online research services. During the past year, we
focused our efforts on cost containment and gathered feedback
from Senate staff on their research needs and the tools they
use. On the cost-containment front, as a result of contract
negotiations led by the Senate Librarian and procurement staff,
SIS program costs in 2011 were held to 2010 levels. The
successful negotiations, however, do not guarantee that there
will not be future price increases and, potentially, hard
decisions about what SIS services are added.
Based on feedback from Senate staff, it's clear that online
research plays a critical role in the daily work of the Senate.
These resources are focused on real-time news, legislative,
legal, and policy resources that are valued by staff. The
online research industry is rapidly changing. And as we move
forward in managing the SIS program, we will be vigilant in
pursuing opportunities to maximize the Senate's investment
while being mindful of costs.
With respect to our financial responsibilities, the
Disbursing Office, in tandem with SAA technical support,
researched and procured a vendor to implement a new payroll
system that met the Senate's unique requirements. We have a
rigorous schedule to ensure a smooth implementation, including
parallel testing with our current system before it's launched
early next year. The next phase of the payroll project will
include self-service options for employees.
[The information follows:]
As I mentioned in my testimony, the new payroll system will be
implemented in three phases. Phase I will replace existing
functionality. Phase II of the project will involve the implementation
of self-service functions for employees, such as change-of-address
requests, revising withholding amounts, and, eventually, making changes
in benefit selections, and will allow for electronic payroll
information notices to be sent, replacing the paper notices that
employees now receive. Phase III, which is not yet funded, is the
rollout of the new personnel system for Senate offices. When all three
phases are implemented, we envision that offices will be able, pending
approval of a digital signature format by the Committee on Rules and
Administration, to submit payroll changes electronically.
Ms. Erickson. As we've worked on the implementation of this
enormous and complex payroll project, I'm reminded of a simpler
time, when Senators and staff were paid with crisp $20 bills at
the front counter of the Disbursing Office, a Senate practice
until 1972.
Our Disbursing Office and Senate Webmaster, in coordination
with the Government Printing Office, are implementing a
statutory requirement that the report of the Secretary be
publicly posted on the Internet. The first posting of this
report will occur at the end of November 2011 and will be
available from a link on senate.gov in a PDF format.
We will continue work on the paperless voucher initiative
to reduce paper, streamline the voucher process, and for
continuity-of-operation purposes. In the meantime, I'm pleased
to report that paper vouchers were processed 10 percent faster
than the previous year, which is good news for your office
managers and your State vendors.
Following past practice, I asked the Government
Accountability Office (GAO) to audit the accounting books and
inventory processes in our stationery room and gift shop. And
I'm pleased to report that we received a positive audit with
valuable feedback. In fact, the GAO singled out our inventory
processes and warehouse operations as a model for other similar
Government entities.
PREPARED STATEMENT
I felt fortunate to be on the Senate floor to hear many of
the farewell remarks of departing Senators this past December.
And I was struck by a recurring theme in their recognition of
the staff who work behind the scenes to support the Senate. Our
staff, who have legislative, financial, and administrative
responsibilities, take great pride in their historic role in
serving the United States Senate, and we appreciate your
subcommittee's recognition and support of their important work.
Thank you.
[The statement follows:]
Prepared Statement of Nancy Erickson
Mr. Chairman, Senator Hoeven, and members of the subcommittee,
thank you for your invitation to present testimony in support of the
budget request of the Office of the Secretary of the Senate for fiscal
year 2012.
It is a pleasure to have this opportunity to draw attention to the
accomplishments of the dedicated and outstanding employees of the
Office of the Secretary. The annual reports which follow provide
detailed information about the work of each department of the office,
their recent achievements, and their plans for the upcoming fiscal
year.
My statement includes:
--presenting the fiscal year 2012 budget request;
--implementing mandated systems--Financial Management Information
System (FMIS) and Legislative Information System (LIS);
--Continuity of Operations Planning (COOP); and
--maintaining and improving current and historic legislative,
financial, and administrative services.
presenting the fiscal year 2012 budget request
I am requesting a total fiscal year 2012 budget of $31,990,000. The
request includes $25,790,000 in salary costs and $6.2 million for the
operating budget of the Office of the Secretary. This request has been
kept at fiscal year 2011 levels and represents a flat budget. No
increase has been requested for salaries or operating expenses. In
addition, the operating budget for the administration of Senate
Information Services (SIS) program that was assumed by this office last
year has not been increased.
My total budget request for fiscal year 2012 is the same as last
year. The balance of our request is consistent with the amounts
requested and received in 2011 through the legislative branch
appropriations process.
OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY APPORTIONMENT SCHEDULE
[In thousands of dollars]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Amount Budget
available estimates
Items fiscal year fiscal year Difference
2011 (pending) 2012
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Departmental operating budget:
Executive office............................................ 550 550 ..............
Administrative services..................................... 5,590 5,590 ..............
Legislative services........................................ 60 60 ..............
-----------------------------------------------
Total operating budget.................................... 6,200 6,200 ..............
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
implementing mandated systems
Two systems critical to our operation are mandated by law, and I
would like to spend a few moments on each to highlight recent progress,
and to thank the subcommittee for your ongoing support of both.
FMIS
The FMIS is used by approximately 140 Senate offices. Consistent
with our strategic plan, the Disbursing Office continues to modernize
processes and applications to meet the continued demand by Senate
offices for efficiency, accountability, and ease of use. Our goals are
to move to an integrated, paperless voucher system, improve the WebFMIS
system, and make payroll and accounting system improvements.
During fiscal year 2010 and the beginning of fiscal year 2011,
specific progress made on the FMIS project included:
--WebFMIS was upgraded three times this year: in January 2010, August
2010, and November 2010. This system is used by administrative
managers, committee clerks, staff in the Sergeant at Arms
Office (SAA), and the Secretary's office to create vouchers and
manage their office funds, by the Disbursing Office to review
vouchers and by the Committee on Rules and Administration to
sanction vouchers. Additionally, it is used by staff who incur
official expenses, primarily staff who travel, to prepare their
Expense Summary Reports (ESRs). The releases provided both
technical and functional changes.
--FMIS 2010-1 was implemented in January 2010. This release
included a small number of enhancements for WebFMIS users
including an automated password reset feature, a warning to
the ESRs user when their document violates the 60-day
election rule limitations, adding graphs to the WebFMIS
summary reports, and implementing a pilot of electronic
invoice (EI) functionality, which allows a user to easily
create credit card reimbursement vouchers based on invoices
received electronically from the Senate's credit card
vendor. A pilot of the EI functionality began in January
and was offered to all offices in June 2010. By the end of
2010, 33 offices were using the EI functionality.
--FMIS 2010-2 was implemented in August 2010. This release included
a small number of enhancements for ESR users, but was
focused on implementing new functionality for the SAA
accounts payable (A/P) process. Processes were simplified
by automated retrieval of data from existing purchase
orders. An application, WebPICS provides pop-up windows
where users enter the required data which the system uses
to retrieve information from the purchase order. The users
verifies retrieved data and adds information necessary to
complete the process to create receiving reports, invoices,
and vouchers for payments against purchase orders.
--FMIS 2011-1 was implemented in November 2010 and included two new
fields (invoice date and invoice receipt date) on the
WebFMIS document create page and the document search
criteria page for all users; it gives SAA users the ability
to search by project code and job code using the document
search criteria page and users using the EI functionality,
the ability to search by traveler's name. A new version of
the ESR, ``Line Item Entry'' was also introduced to a pilot
group. This enables users to select from 1 of 3 travel
types of the ESR; single trip, multiple trips, or
interdepartmental travel, requiring different types of
information based on the type selected. It is anticipated
that this new version of the ESR will reduce rekeying by
staff and reduce the corrections to itineraries made by
administrative mangers, chief clerks and Disbursing's A/P
staff. A pilot of 10 offices and committees began in
November 2010. This version was given to all new Senators
of the 112th Congress.
--The computing infrastructure for FMIS is provided by the SAA. Each
year the SAA staff upgrades the infrastructure hardware and
software. During 2010 the SAA implemented two major upgrades to
the FMIS infrastructure. These included upgrading the database,
DB2, to version 9 in a two-step process, and upgrading the
mainframe operating system to version 1, release 11.
--During 2008 Disbursing implemented a prototype imaging system in
which paper vouchers and supporting documentation were imaged
by Disbursing staff and routed electronically. The hands-on
experience of this prototype was especially useful in refining
system requirements. In 2009 and completed in 2010, the
software for the image database and image viewer was selected,
and imaging and electronic signature requirements were
finalized. This information was coordinated with a separate SAA
smart card ID project to be utilized for electronic signatures.
In October 2010, a task order for adding document imaging and
electronic signatures to WebFMIS was signed. This task order
outlines work to be completed in 2010 through the spring of
2013.
--Finalized the selection of the PeopleSoft payroll system integrator
through a competitive bid process, signed the contract and
started with the fit gap sessions for the implementation of the
new system.
--Implemented State tax remittances via direct deposit for six
additional States and updated our access to the Federal Reserve
Bank (FRB) due to a change in FRB-supplied equipment.
During the remainder of fiscal year 2011 the following FMIS
activities are anticipated:
--Implementing WebPICS release for phase III which will focus on SAA
purchase order creation and approval;
--Coordinating with SAA the timeframes for the implementation of the
smart card ID project for electronic signatures;
--Implementing on-line distribution of monthly ledger reports using
Reveal via WebFMIS;
--Implementing Automated Clearing House (ACH) payment for the 16
remaining State taxes jurisdictions which require a programming
change;
--Participating in the yearly disaster recovery test; and
--Implementing FMIS release 2011-2 during the spring 2011. This
release is expected to allow the SAA A/P group and the
Secretary's account administrator the ability to image and
attach supporting documentation to the documents created via
WebPICS or WebFMIS.
During fiscal year 2012 the following FMIS activities are
anticipated:
--Continuing the implementation of online financial reports;
--Implementing FMIS 2011-3, which includes the deployment of an
imaging and electronic signatures pilot by Senate office.
--Implementing FMIS 2012-1 to include additional imaging features
from the pilot group requirements to support extended pilot
office participation.
--Implementing FMIS 2012-2 to provide capacity and stability
enhancements to support rollout to all offices and committees,
as well as enhancements to the pilot functionality based on
feedback gained through user group meeting and training
sessions;
--Continuing with the new payroll system implementation, conversion
and testing; and
--Reviewing existing systems and developing a long-term modification
and replacement plan for key financial systems.
A more detailed report on FMIS is included in the departmental
report of the Disbursing Office.
legislative offices
The Legislative Department provides support essential to Senators
in carrying out their daily chamber activities as well as the
constitutional responsibilities of the Senate. The Legislative Clerk
sits at the Secretary's desk in the Senate Chamber and reads aloud
bills, amendments, the Senate Journal, Presidential messages, and other
such materials when so directed by the Presiding Officer of the Senate.
The Legislative Clerk calls the roll of Members to establish the
presence of a quorum and to record and tally all yea and nay votes. The
office staff prepares the Senate Calendar of Business, published each
day that the Senate is in session, and prepares additional publications
relating to Senate class membership and committee and subcommittee
assignments. The Legislative Clerk maintains the official copy of all
measures pending before the Senate and must incorporate into those
measures any amendments that are agreed to. This office retains custody
of official messages received from the House of Representatives and
conference reports awaiting action by the Senate. The office staff is
responsible for verifying the accuracy of information entered into the
LIS system by the various offices of the Secretary.
Additionally, the Legislative Clerk acts as supervisor for the
Legislative Department, responsible for overall coordination,
supervision, scheduling, and cross-training. The department consists of
eight offices:
--the Bill Clerk;
--Captioning Services;
--Daily Digest;
--Enrolling Clerk;
--Executive Clerk;
--Journal Clerk;
--Legislative Clerk; and
--the Official Reporters of Debates.
Summary of Activity
The Senate completed its legislative business and adjourned sine
die on December 22, 2010. During 2010, the Senate was in session 158
days and conducted 299 roll call votes and eight live quorum calls.
There were 388 measures reported from committees and six special
reports submitted to the Senate. There were 569 total measures passed
or agreed to. In addition, there were 4,924 amendments submitted to the
desk.
Cross-training and COOP Planning
Recognizing the importance of planning for the continuity of Senate
business, under both normal and possibly extenuating circumstances,
cross-training continues to be strongly emphasized among the
Secretary's legislative staff. To ensure additional staff are trained
to perform the basic floor responsibilities of the Legislative Clerk,
as well as the various other floor-related responsibilities of the
Secretary, approximately one-half of the legislative staff are
currently involved or have recently been involved in cross-training.
Each office and staff within the Legislative Department
participated in numerous ongoing COOP discussions and exercises
throughout the past year. These discussions and exercises are a joint
effort involving the Office of the Secretary, the U.S. Capitol Police
(USCP), and the SAA.
Succession Planning
The average number of years of Senate service among the Secretary's
Legislative Department supervisors is 19 years. It is critical that the
Secretary's Legislative Department attract and keep talented employees,
especially the second tier of employees just behind the current
supervisors because of the unique nature of the Senate as a legislative
institution. The arcane practices and voluminous precedents of the
Senate make institutional experience and knowledge extremely valuable.
bill clerk
The Office of the Bill Clerk collects and records data on the
legislative activity of the Senate, which becomes the historical record
of official Senate business. The Bill Clerk's staff keeps this
information in its handwritten files and ledgers and also enters it
into the Senate's automated retrieval system so that it is available to
all House and Senate offices through the LIS. The Bill Clerk records
actions of the Senate with regard to bills, resolutions, reports,
amendments, cosponsors, Public Law numbers, and recorded votes. The
Bill Clerk is responsible for preparing for print all measures
introduced, received, submitted, and reported in the Senate. The Bill
Clerk also assigns numbers to all Senate bills and resolutions. All the
information received in this office comes directly from the Senate
Floor in written form within moments of the action involved, so the
Bill Clerk's office is generally regarded as the most timely and most
accurate source of legislative information.
Assistance From the Government Printing Office (GPO)
The Bill Clerk's staff maintains an exceptionally good working
relationship with the GPO and seeks to provide the best service
possible to meet the needs of the Senate. The GPO continues to respond
in a timely manner to the Secretary's request, through the Bill Clerk's
office, for the printing of bills and reports, including the expedited
printing of priority matters for the Senate Chamber.
Legislative Activity
The Bill Clerk's staff processed 1,099 fewer legislative items than
in the previous Congress for an overall decrease of slightly less than
9 percent. For comparative purposes, below is a summary of the second
sessions of the 110th and 111th Congresses, and then between the
combined sessions of each Congress.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
110th 111th
Congress, 2nd Congress, 2nd Percentage
Session Session change
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Senate bills.................................................... 1,217 1,139 -6.41
Senate Joint Resolutions........................................ 19 17 -10.53
Senate Concurrent Resolutions................................... 43 30 -30.23
Senate Resolutions.............................................. 311 320 +2.89
Amendments submitted............................................ 1,812 1,626 -10.26
House bills..................................................... 427 333 -22.01
House Joint Resolutions......................................... 4 6 +50.00
House Concurrent Resolutions.................................... 93 51 -45.16
Measures reported............................................... 452 388 -14.16
Written reports................................................. 274 275 +41.61
-----------------------------------------------
Total legislation......................................... 4,652 4,298 -7.61
===============================================
Roll call votes................................................. 215 299 +39.07
House messages \1\.............................................. 283 332 +17.31
Cosponsor requests.............................................. 7,306 4,947 -32.29
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ This number reflects how many messages from the House are typed up by the Bill Clerks for inclusion in the
Congressional Record. It excludes additional activity on these bills.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Percentage
110th Congress 111th Congress change
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Senate bills.................................................... 3,741 4,059 +8.5
Senate Joint Resolutions........................................ 46 42 -8.7
Senate Concurrent Resolutions................................... 107 78 -27.1
Senate Resolutions.............................................. 729 707 -3.02
Amendments Submitted............................................ 5,704 4,924 -13.67
House bills..................................................... 940 715 -23.94
House Joint Resolutions......................................... 13 16 +23.08
House Concurrent Resolutions.................................... 186 118 -36.56
Measures reported............................................... 880 388 -55.91
-----------------------------------------------
Total legislation......................................... 12,346 11,047 -10.52
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
captioning services
The Office of Captioning Services provides realtime captioning of
Senate Floor proceedings for the deaf and hard-of-hearing and
unofficial electronic transcripts of Senate Floor proceedings to Senate
offices on Webster, the Senate Intranet.
General Overview
Captioning Services strives to provide the highest-quality closed
captions. For the 17th year in a row, the Office has achieved an
overall accuracy average above 99 percent. Overall caption quality is
monitored through daily translation data reports, monitoring of
captions in real-time, and review of caption files on Webster. In an
effort to decrease paper consumption and printing costs, accuracy
reviews and reports will be completed and archived in electronic form
for the upcoming year.
The real-time searchable closed caption log, available to Senate
offices on Webster, continues to be an invaluable tool for all of the
Senate community. Legislative floor staff, in particular, continue to
depend upon its availability, reliability and contents to help them in
the performance of their duties. Additionally, the Senate Recording
Studio's complementary video component, Video Vault, adds searchable
video to the audio and text and has proven to be a valuable new tool
for Senate offices to utilize.
COOP Planning
COOP and preparation continue to be a top priority to ensure that
the office and staff are prepared and confident about the ability to
relocate and successfully function from a remote location in the event
of an emergency. Continual updates and review of the COOP plan and
discussion with staff throughout the year prepare individuals to have
confidence if called upon to execute the plan. The office also
participates with the Recording Studio in an off-site location exercise
of the COOP at least once a year.
daily digest
The Office of the Senate Daily Digest is pleased to transmit its
annual report on Senate activities during the second session of the
111th Congress. First, a brief summary of a compilation of Senate
statistics:
Chamber Activity
The Senate was in session a total of 158 days, for a total of 1,074
hours and 40 minutes. There were eight live quorum calls and 299 roll
call votes. (See attachment for 2009 Year Comparison of Senate
Legislative Activity).
Committee Activity
Senate committees held a total of 827 meetings during the second
session, as contrasted with 1,138 meetings during the first session of
the 111th Congress.
All hearings and business meetings (including joint meetings and
conferences) are scheduled through the Office of the Senate Daily
Digest and are published in the Congressional Record, on its Web site
on Senate.gov, and entered in the LIS, the Web-based applications
system. Meeting outcomes are also published by the Daily Digest in the
Congressional Record each day and continuously updated on the Web site.
Computer Activities
The Digest staff continues to work closely with Senate computer
staff to refine the LIS/document management system (DMS), including
further refinements to the Senate Committee Scheduling application
which will improve the data entry process.
The Digest office continues to electronically transmit the complete
publication at the end of each day to the GPO.
GPO
The Daily Digest staff work closely with the GPO on printing issues
and are pleased to report that occurrences of editing corrections or
transcript errors are infrequent.
20-YEAR COMPARISON OF SENATE LEGISLATIVE ACTIVITY \1\
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Senate convened..................................... 1/3 1/3 1/5 1/25 1/4 1/3 1/3 1/27 1/6 1/24
Senate adjourned.................................... 1/3/92 10/9 11/26 12/01 1/3/96 10/4 11/13 10/21 11/19 12/15
Days in session..................................... 158 129 153 138 211 132 153 143 162 141
Hours in session.................................... 1,20044" 1,09109" 1,26941" 1,24333" 1,83910" 1,03645" 1,09307" 1,09505" 1,18357" 1,01751"
Average hours per day............................... 7.6 8.5 8.3 9.0 8.7 7.8 7.1 7.7 7.3 7.2
Total measures passed............................... 626 651 473 465 346 476 386 506 549 696
Roll call votes..................................... 280 270 395 329 613 306 298 314 374 298
Quorum calls........................................ 3 5 2 6 3 2 6 4 7 6
Public Laws......................................... 243 347 210 255 88 245 153 241 170 410
Treaties ratified................................... 15 32 20 8 10 28 15 53 13 39
Nominations confirmed............................... 45,369 30,619 38,676 37,446 40,535 33,176 25,576 20,302 22,468 22,512
Average voting attendance........................... 97.16 95.4 97.6 97.02 98.07 98.22 98.68 97.47 98.02 96.99
Sessions convened before 12 noon.................... 126 112 128 120 184 113 115 109 118 107
Sessions convened at 12 noon........................ 9 6 6 9 2 15 12 31 17 25
Sessions convened after 12 noon..................... 23 10 15 17 12 7 7 2 19 24
Sessions continued after 6 p.m...................... 102 91 100 100 158 88 96 93 113 94
Sessions continued after 12 midnight................ 4 9 7 3 1 ............ ............ ............ ............ 2
Saturday sessions................................... 2 2 2 3 5 1 1 1 3 1
Sunday sessions..................................... ............ ............ ............ ............ 3 ............ 1 ............ ............ 1
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
20-YEAR COMPARISON OF SENATE LEGISLATIVE ACTIVITY--Continued
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Senate convened..................................... 1/3 1/23 1/7 1/20 1/4 1/3 1/4 1/3 1/6 1/5
Senate adjourned.................................... 12/20 11/20 12/9 12/8 12/22 12/9 12/31 1/2 12/24 12/22
Days in session..................................... 173 149 167 133 159 138 189 184 191 158
Hours in session.................................... 1,23615" 1,04323" 1,45405" 1,03131" 1,22226" 1,02748" 1,37554" 98831" 1,42039" 1,07440"
Average hours per day............................... 7.1 7.0 8.7 7.7 7.7 7.4 7.2 5.37 7.44 6.8
Total measures passed............................... 425 523 590 663 624 635 621 589 478 569
Roll call votes..................................... 380 253 459 216 366 279 442 215 397 299
Quorum calls........................................ 3 2 3 1 3 1 6 3 3 8
Public Laws......................................... 136 241 198 300 169 313 180 280 125 258
Treaties ratified................................... 3 17 11 15 6 14 8 30 1 6
Nominations confirmed............................... 25,091 23,633 21,580 24,420 25,942 29,603 22,892 21,785 23,051 23,327
Average voting attendance........................... 98.29 96.36 96.07 95.54 97.41 97.13 94.99 94.36 96.99 95.88
Sessions convened before 12 noon.................... 140 119 133 104 121 110 156 147 148 116
Sessions convened at 12 noon........................ 10 12 4 9 1 4 4 4 2 6
Sessions convened after 12 noon..................... 21 23 23 21 36 24 32 33 41 36
Sessions continued after 6 p.m...................... 108 103 134 129 120 129 144 110 152 116
Sessions continued after 12 midnight................ 3 8 2 3 3 4 4 2 2 1
Saturday sessions................................... 3 ............ 1 2 2 2 1 3 5 2
Sunday sessions..................................... ............ ............ 1 1 2 ............ 1 1 4 1
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Prepared by the Senate Daily Digest--Office of the Secretary.
enrolling clerk
The Enrolling Clerk prepares, proofreads, corrects, and prints all
legislation passed by the Senate prior to its transmittal to the
Secretary of the Senate, House of Representatives, the White House, the
National Archives, and the United States Claims Court.
During the second session of the 111th Congress the Enrolling
Clerk's office prepared the enrollment of 78 Senate bills (transmitted
to the President); 4 Senate enrolled joint resolutions (transmitted to
the President); 7 Senate concurrent resolutions (transmitted to the
National Archives); and 40 Senate appointments (transmitted to the
House of Representatives). In addition, approximately 177 House of
Representatives bills; 30 House Concurrent Resolutions; 5 House Joint
Resolutions; and 2 conference reports, were either amended, passed, or
acted on by the Senate requiring the Enrolling Clerk's office staff to
work hundreds of amendments in a tightly managed schedule. In all there
were 61 messages delivered to the Clerk's office and 84 to the House
Chamber by the Enrolling Clerk's office relative to Senate action and
passage of legislation. The office also handled the appropriate
delivery to the House Clerk's office of approximately 248 House
enrolled bills and 11 House joint resolutions (1 vetoed) after they had
been signed by the President pro tempore.
During the second session, the Enrolling Clerk's office was also
involved in preparing and proofreading documents and taking messages to
the House of Representatives relative to the impeachment of Judge
Gabriel Thomas Porteous, Jr. of Louisiana. The Enrolling Clerk also
assisted the Executive Clerk in putting together the official copy of
the START Treaty agreement and helped organize Treaty amendments, in
addition to proofreading the document. The office performance was
successful, and all deadlines were met.
A total of 569 pieces of legislation were passed or agreed to
during the second session of the 111th Congress. Many other Senate
bills were placed on the calendar, all of which were processed in the
Enrolling Clerk's office including approximately 99 engrossed Senate
bills, 4 joint resolutions, 15 concurrent resolutions, and 244 Senate
resolutions. The office is also responsible for keeping the original
official copies of bills, resolutions, and appointments from the Senate
Floor through the end of each Congress. At the end of the second
session, the Enrolling Clerk's office places all official papers in
archive boxes where they are sent to the Senate Archivist for storage
at the National Archives.
The Senate Enrolling Clerk's is also responsible for transmitting
to the GPO electronically, for overnight printing, copies of the
original files of engrossed and enrolled legislation proofread and
formatted accordingly in our office.
COOP
In the second quarter 2010 the Enrolling Clerk attended two COOP
exercises at the GPO to test a number of printers for the COOP fly-away
kit designated to be available for the enrolling clerks in the event of
a COOP situation. In addition to testing the printers, the exercise
encompassed the important details of our operations necessary for the
engrossment and enrollment of legislation involving the use of printers
and specific paper stock supplied by the GPO.
Cost Savings
The Enrolling Clerk has reduced printing requests by one-third over
the past few years in addition to reducing its distribution of bills
from the GPO by one-half.
executive clerk
The Executive Clerk prepares an accurate record of actions taken by
the Senate during executive sessions (proceedings on nominations and
treaties) which is published as the Journal of the Executive
Proceedings of the Senate at the end of each session of Congress. The
Executive Clerk also prepares daily the Executive Calendar as well as
all nomination and treaty resolutions for transmittal to the President.
Additionally, the Executive Clerk's office processes all executive
communications, Presidential messages, and petitions and memorials.
Nominations
During the second session of the 111th Congress, there were 1,077
nomination messages sent to the Senate by the President, transmitting
21,836 nominations to positions requiring Senate confirmation and 21
messages withdrawing nominations sent to the Senate during the second
session of the 111th Congress. Of the total nominations transmitted,
435 were for civilian positions other than lists in the Foreign
Service, Coast Guard, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration,
and Public Health Service. In addition, there were 2,240 nominees in
the ``civilian list@'' categories named above. Military nominations
received this session totaled 19,161 (6,600 Air Force; 7,486 Army;
4,448 Navy; and 627 Marine Corps). The Senate confirmed 23,327
nominations this session. Pursuant to the provisions of paragraph 6 of
Senate Rule XXXI, 366 nominations were returned to the President during
the second session of the 111th Congress.
Treaties
There were four treaties transmitted to the Senate by the President
during the second session of the 111th Congress for its advice and
consent to ratification, which were ordered printed as treaty documents
for the use of the Senate (Treaty Doc. 111-5 through 111-8).
The Senate gave its advice and consent to six treaties with various
amendments, conditions, declarations, understandings, and provisos to
the resolutions of advice and consent to ratification.
Executive Reports and Roll Call Votes
There were six executive reports relating to treaties ordered
printed for the use of the Senate during the second session of the
111th Congress (Executive Report 111-2 through 111-7). The Senate
conducted 50 roll call votes in executive session, all on or in
relation to nominations and treaties.
Executive Communications
For the second session of the 111th Congress, 4,468 executive
communications, 62 petitions and memorials, and 29 Presidential
messages were received and processed.
Environmental Impact
In an effort to save money and eliminate unnecessary paper, the
Executive Clerk reduced the copies of nominations printed for the
committees by 95 percent during the 111th Congress, as all committees
except one allow the paperwork to be transmitted by email decreasing
the need for duplicate paper copies.
journal clerk
The Journal Clerk takes notes of the daily legislative proceedings
of the Senate in the ``Minute Book'' and prepares a history of bills
and resolutions for the printed Journal of the Proceedings of the
Senate, or Senate Journal, as required by article I, section V of the
Constitution. The content of the Senate Journal is governed by Senate
Rule IV, and is approved by the Senate on a daily basis. The Senate
Journal is published each calendar year.
The Journal staff take 90-minute turns at the Rostrum in the Senate
Chamber, noting the following by hand for inclusion in the Minute Book:
--all orders (entered into by the Senate through unanimous consent
agreements);
--legislative messages received from the President of the United
States;
--messages from the House of Representatives;
--legislative actions as taken by the Senate (including motions made
by Senators, points of order raised, and roll call votes
taken);
--amendments submitted and proposed for consideration;
--bills and joint resolutions introduced; and
--concurrent and Senate resolutions as submitted.
These notes of the proceedings are then compiled in electronic form
for eventual publication of the Senate Journal at the end of each
calendar year. Compilation is efficiently accomplished through
utilization of the LIS Senate Journal Authoring System. The Senate
Journal is published each calendar year, and in 2010, the Journal Clerk
completed the production of the 1,125 page 2009 volume. It is
anticipated that work on the 2010 volume, including the Impeachment
Journal, will conclude by December 2011.
COOP
In 2010, in support of the Office of the Secretary's commitment to
COOP, the Office of the Journal Clerk participated in the annual
Chamber Protective Actions/Briefing Center exercise in May.
Additionally, monthly tests of BlackBerry emergency notification and
laptop remote access procedures are conducted. The Journal Clerk
continued the practice of scanning the daily Minute Book pages into a
secure directory. The files are also copied onto a flash drive storage
device weekly, and transported off-site each night. Although the actual
Minute Books for each session of a Congress are sent to the National
Archives a year following the end of a Congress, having easily
accessible files, both on a remote server and on a secure portable
storage device, will ensure timely reconstitution of the Minute Book
data in the event of damage to, or destruction of, the physical Minute
Book.
official reporters of debates
The Office of the Official Reporters of Debates is responsible for
the stenographic reporting, transcribing, and editing of the Senate
Floor proceedings for publication in the Congressional Record. The
Chief Reporter acts as the editor-in-chief, and the Coordinator
functions as the technical production manager of the Senate portion of
the Record. The office interacts with Senate personnel on additional
materials to be included in the Record.
On a continuing basis, all materials to be printed in the next
day's edition of the Record are transmitted electronically and on paper
to the GPO. Much of the transcript of Senate Floor proceedings and
Morning Business is sent to the GPO electronically to allow for
production of the Record in a cost-conscious and timely manner. In most
instances, the paper copy of the Record is delivered by the GPO within
2 to 3 hours of its content being placed on the Internet at
approximately 7 a.m. every day.
The Chief Reporter, in conjunction with Senate office and committee
staff, works to ensure compliance with the ``2-page rule'' to cut down
on the printing costs of the Record by controlling the amount of
extraneous printing to be done by the GPO. As a result, these materials
are often condensed so as not to exceed the rule and/or are cited and
printed on Web sites with referencing so that they are available to the
interested public.
The Official Reporters of Debate completed the upgrade of its
stenotype machines this year. This past year, the office purchased five
additional Pro Cat Stylus stenotype machines, complementing the three
machines that were purchased last fiscal year, resulting in the most
efficient and up-to-date method of paperless recording of Senate
debate. All reporters' stenographic notes are now saved to electronic
files and are held for 5 years or more, saving the cost of storage and
purchase of bundled stenotype paper that was used in the older
machines.
parliamentarian
The Parliamentarian's Office continues to perform its essential
institutional responsibilities to act as a neutral arbiter among all
parties with an interest in the legislative process. These
responsibilities include advising the chair, Senators and their staff,
committee staff, House Members and their staffs, and administration
officials on all matters requiring an interpretation of the Standing
Rules of the Senate, the precedents of the Senate, and unanimous
consent agreements, as well as provisions of public law affecting the
proceedings of the Senate.
The Parliamentarian or one of his assistants is always present on
the Senate Floor when the Senate is in session, ready to assist the
Presiding Officer in his or her official duties, as well as to assist
any other Senator on procedural matters. The parliamentarians work
closely with the staff of the Vice President of the United States and
the Vice President himself whenever he performs his duties as President
of the Senate.
The parliamentarians serve as the agents of the Senate in
coordinating the flow of legislation with the House of Representatives
and with the President, and ensure that enrolled bills are signed in a
timely manner by duly authorized officers of the Senate for
presentation to the President.
The parliamentarians monitor all proceedings on the floor of the
Senate, advise the Presiding Officer on the competing rights of the
Senators on the floor, and advise all Senators as to what is
appropriate in debate. The parliamentarians keep track of time on the
floor of the Senate when time is limited or controlled under the
provisions of time agreements, statutes, or standing orders. The
parliamentarians keep track of the amendments offered to the
legislation pending on the Senate Floor, and monitor them for points of
order. In this respect, the parliamentarians reviewed more than 1,600
amendments during 2010 to determine if they met various procedural
requirements, such as germaneness. The parliamentarians also reviewed
thousands of pages of conference reports to determine what provisions
could appropriately be included therein.
The Office of the Parliamentarian is responsible for the referral
to the appropriate committees of all legislation introduced in the
Senate, all legislation received from the House, as well as all
communications received from the executive branch, State and local
governments, and private citizens. In order to perform this
responsibility, the parliamentarians do extensive legal and legislative
research. During 2010, the Parliamentarian and his assistants referred
2,623 measures and 4,559 communications to the appropriate Senate
committees. The office worked extensively with Senators and their
staffs to advise them of the jurisdictional consequences of countless
drafts of legislation, and evaluated the jurisdictional effect of
proposed modifications in drafting. In 2010, as in the past, the
parliamentarians conducted several briefings on Senate procedure to
various groups of Senate staff and visiting international parliamentary
staff, on a nonpartisan basis.
During 2010, as has been the case in the past, the staff of the
Parliamentarian's Office was frequently called on to analyze and advise
Senators on a great number of issues arising under the Congressional
Budget Act of 1974, the Trade Act of 1974, the Congressional Review
Act, and many other provisions of law that authorize special procedural
consideration of measures.
During all of 2010, the parliamentarians were involved in
interpreting the ethics reform proposals adopted in 2007, especially
the language dealing with earmark accountability and scope of
conference.
Throughout 2010 until the convening of the 112th Congress, the
parliamentarians reviewed all of the Senators' certificates of election
for sufficiency and accuracy, returning those that were defective and
reviewing their replacements.
Since the election in 2010, all of the parliamentarians have
participated in the orientation sessions for the newly elected Senators
and have assisted each of them in their initial hours as Presiding
Officers. The parliamentarians also participated in an orientation
session on the Senate Floor for Senate staff.
COOP
The parliamentarians have each been trained on and successfully
remotely access the office's computers and hard drives, facilitating
communications, research, and other work after hours, and enabling them
to have the office function during possible emergencies. The
Parliamentarian's Office continues to participate extensively in
emergency preparedness training for the Senate Chamber and has been
heavily involved with the SAA Office of Police Operations, Security and
Emergency Preparedness for years in the planning phases of the Senate's
evacuation and shelter-in-place procedures.
financial operations
Disbursing Office
The mission of the Senate Disbursing Office is to provide efficient
and effective central financial and human resource data management,
information, and advice to the offices of the United States Senate and
to Members and employees of the Senate. The Senate Disbursing Office
manages the collection of information from the distributed accounting
locations within the Senate to formulate and consolidate the agency
level budget, disburse the payroll, pay the Senate's bills, and provide
appropriate counseling and advice. The Senate Disbursing Office
collects information from Members and employees that is necessary to
maintain and administer the retirement, health insurance, life
insurance, and other central human resource programs and provides
responsive, personal attention to Members and employees on an unbiased
and confidential basis. The Senate Disbursing Office also manages the
distribution of central financial and human resource information to the
individual Member offices, committees, administrative and leadership
offices in the Senate while maintaining the confidentiality of
information for Members and Senate employees.
The organization is structured to enhance its ability to provide
quality work, maintain a high level of customer service, promote good
internal controls, efficiency and teamwork, and provide for the
appropriate levels of supervision and management. The long-term
financial needs of the Senate are best served by an organization
staffed with highly trained professionals who possess a high degree of
institutional knowledge, sound judgment, and interpersonal skills that
reflect the unique nature of the United States Senate.
Executive Office
The primary responsibilities, among others, of the Executive Office
are to:
--oversee the day-to-day operations of the Disbursing Office;
--respond to any inquiries or questions;
--maintain fully and properly trained staff;
--ensure that the office is prepared to respond quickly and
efficiently to any disaster or unique situation that may arise;
--provide excellent customer service;
--assist the Secretary of the Senate in the implementation of new
legislation affecting any of her departments; and
--handle all information requests from the Committee on
Appropriations and the Committee on Rules and Administration
The Disbursing Office, the Committee on Rules and Administration,
the House of Representatives and the U.S. Treasury finalized an
interagency agreement concerning payments for expenses made on behalf
of the Congressional Oversight Panel established by Public Law 110-343,
the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act. The Disbursing Office
continues to offer administrative support to this office.
The Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2010, Public Law 111-68
included an administrative provision requiring the Report of the
Secretary of the Senate to be published and publicly posted online,
starting with the report covering the first full semi-annual period of
the 112th Congress. Disbursing met several times with the GPO to start
the design of the Web page, and additional meetings will be held with
all interested parties in the coming months to finalize the development
of the report.
Front Office--Administrative and Financial Services
The Front Office is the main service area for all general Senate
business and financial activity. The Front Office staff maintains the
Senate's internal accountability of funds used in the groups daily
operations. The reconciliation of such funds is executed on a daily
basis. The Front Office staff also provides training to newly
authorized payroll contacts along with continuing guidance to all
contacts in the execution of business operations. It is the receiving
point for most incoming expense vouchers, payroll actions, and employee
benefits-related forms, and is the initial verification point to ensure
that paperwork received in the Disbursing Office conforms to all
applicable Senate rules, regulations, and statutes. The Front Office is
the first line of service provided to Senators, officers, and
employees. All new Senate employees (permanent and temporary) who will
work in the Capitol Hill Senate offices are administered the required
Oath of Office and Personnel Affidavit. Staff is also provided verbal
and written detailed information regarding pay and benefits. Advances
are issued to Senate staff authorized for official Senate travel
through the Front Office and cash and check advances are entered and
reconciled in Web FMIS. After the processing of certified expenses is
complete, cash travel advances are repaid.
Numerous inquiries are handled daily, ranging from pay, benefits,
taxes and voucher processing, to reporting, laws, and Senate
regulations; and must always be answered accurately and fully to
provide the highest degree of customer service. Cash and checks
received from Senate entities as part of their daily business are
handled through the Front Office and become part of the Senate's
accountability of federally appropriated funds and are then processed
through the Senate's general ledger system. The Front Office maintains
the Official Office Information Authorization Forms that authorize
individuals to conduct various types of business with the Disbursing
Office.
General Activities
Processed approximately 530 cash advances during the year and
initialized 920 check/direct deposit advances.
Received and processed more than 21,600 checks.
Administered Oath of Office and Personnel Affidavits to more than
1,700 new Senate staff and advised them of their benefits eligibility.
Maintained brochures for 12 Federal health insurance carriers and
distributed approximately 3,500 brochures to existing staff during the
annual Federal Benefits Open Season and to new Senate employees during
their Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) selection process.
Provided 22 training sessions to new administrative managers.
Administratively guided the three offices of the appointed Senators
that resulted from the death or resignation of sitting Senators, and
the 16 new Senate offices through the Senator-elect phase.
The Front Office continues its daily reconciliation of operations
and strengthening of internal office controls. Training and guidance to
new administrative managers and business contacts continued and was
enhanced by the revamping of training materials that were provided to
newly authorized personnel. The Front Office initiated a scanning
procedure that ensured secure flow of payroll-related documents through
the processing phase. Front Office staff continued assisting employees
in maximizing their Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) contributions and making
sure they are aware of the TSP Catch-Up provisions. The contribution
level for the new TSP employee automatic enrollment was emphasized. The
Front Office continued to provide the Senate community with prompt,
courteous, and informative advice regarding Disbursing Office
operations.
Payroll Section
The Payroll Section maintains the Human Resources Management System
(HRMS) and is responsible for processing, verifying, and warehousing
all payroll information submitted to the Disbursing Office by Senators,
committees, and other appointing officials for their staff, including
appointments of employees, salary changes, title changes, transfers,
and terminations. It is also responsible for input of all enrollments
and elections submitted by Members and employees that affect their pay
(e.g., retirement and benefits elections, tax withholding, TSP
participation, allotments from pay, address changes, direct deposit
elections, levies and garnishments, etc.) and for the issuance of
accurate salary payments to Members and employees. The Payroll Section
is responsible for the administration of the Senate Student Loan
Repayment Program (SLP) and for the audit and reconciliation of the
Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs) and Federal Employees Dental and
Vision Insurance Program (FED VIP) bill files received each pay period.
The payroll section jointly maintains the ACH FedLine facilities with
the A/P section for the normal transmittal of payroll deposits to the
FRB. Payroll expenditure, projection, and allowance reports are
distributed electronically to all Senate offices semimonthly. The
payroll section issues the proper withholding and agency contribution
reports to the Accounting Department and transmits the proper TSP
information to the National Finance Center. In addition, the payroll
section maintains earnings records, which are distributed to the Social
Security Administration and employees' taxable earnings records, which
are used for W-2 statements. This section is also responsible for the
payroll expenditure data portion of the Report of the Secretary of the
Senate and calculates, reconciles, and bills the Senate Employees Child
Care Center for their staff employee contributions and forwards payment
of those contributions to the Accounting Section. The Payroll Section
provides guidance and counseling to staff and administrative managers
on issues of pay, salaries, allowances, and projections.
General Activities
In January 2010, the payroll section conducted all year-end
processing and reconciliation of pay records and produced W-2 forms for
employees and Federal and State tax agencies. They also facilitated the
imaging of those documents to the Document Imaging System. The payroll
section maintained the normal schedule of processing TSP election
forms.
In January 2010, an employee cost-of-living adjustments (COLA) of
2.42 percent was authorized and administered. Statutory rates and
program caps were updated in HRMS. Required documentation was issued,
received, reconciled, input, and adjusted as designated by appointing
officials.
The Disbursing Office, in tandem with SAA Technical Support,
researched and procured a vendor to implement a new payroll system. The
proposals of the bidders were diligently assessed and modifications
requested. Several demonstrations and technical forums were attended
and rated. Specific attention was paid to how the vendors would
accommodate the Senate's unique requirements, laws and regulations
governing the services and programs administered by the payroll system.
After extensive coordination, feedback and assessment, an implementer
selection was made. Staff attended week-long training to enhance their
ability to participate in system requirements, development, and
implementation. The Payroll Section also drafted and edited a complete
revision and update of the Payroll Procedures Manual in anticipation of
its need as a tool to facilitate the development and implementation of
the new payroll system.
As 2010 came to an end, the Disbursing Office and SAA had begun the
process of system development and implementation with the new vendor.
Fit gap sessions to analyze requirements started in February with an
expected completion of Phase I of the project during fiscal year 2012.
As a result of the passage of the Reservist Differential Pay
legislation, the office worked with the SAA computer support staff to
determine requirements, develop, test and implement programming
changes, develop processes and procedures, and implement those within
the guidelines set forth by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM)
and Defense Financial and Accounting Services. Offices and affected
employees were notified of the impact of the legislation.
The automatic enrollment provisions of the TSP Enhancement Act of
2009 took effect in August 2010. The office worked in tandem with the
SAA computer support staff and the TSP to determine system
requirements, develop, test, and implement changes and follow through
with postimplementation testing and reporting. New procedures were
developed and implemented and Senate-wide communications were written
and distributed.
Other minor changes were made to the HRMS as the need arose as a
result of regulated and policy changes. Changes to the retirement
creditability of Federal Employee Retirement System (FERS) sick leave
required legislative and procedural interpretation and required
interagency cooperation and coordination. The Disbursing Office
developed procedures and distributed communications throughout the
Senate.
The office procured a new retirement calculator tool that will
provide additional functionality to retirement counselors and enhance
their ability to provide a greater number of retirement estimates.
Procedures, training and usage development will occur in 2011.
In 2010, the payroll section implemented a number of system
modifications as a result of legislative, regulatory, and procedural
changes. The Department of the Treasury implemented a new Web-based
process for purchasing savings bonds by payroll deduction, which
required changes to existing procedures and required notification to
the affected Senate Members and employees. Passage of Reservist
Differential Pay was handled with coordinated development of
requirements, testing, system implementation, and procedural
development to facilitate the proper payments and tracking. Unusual
changes to specific State tax law required system modifications so that
residents of that State could remain in compliance with regards to
their State tax withholding. This required system development, testing,
implementation, and notification to the affected Members and staff.
As a result of the 2010 expiring terms of several appointed
Senators, the payroll section provided assistance and guidance to the
offices of incoming and outgoing Members. They also assisted Senator
Robert C. Byrd's staff upon his death. In addition, the staff
researched the specifics of applicable Senate resolutions to determine
their impact, if any, on outgoing and potentially outgoing staff in
order to ensure that current procedures allowed for the proper
administration of the resolutions and provided guidance to staff on
those resolutions.
The Payroll Section administers the SLP, which includes initiation,
tracking and transmission of the payments, determination of
eligibility, and coordination and reconciliation with office
administrators and program participants. Because of regulatory changes
within the Department of Education, extensive vendor processing changes
were necessitated. As a result many payments to vendors were not being
routed correctly once received at the designated address. This led to a
higher than usual need for payment tracking, reconciliation, and check
reissue. The SLP Administrator continues to improve processes for
administration of the program and documenting procedures. In addition,
the SLP Administrator developed an extensive list of ``frequently asked
questions'' which were distributed to administrative managers and
staff, and which have been published to Webster, the Senate's Intranet.
Employee Benefits Section (EBS)
The primary responsibilities of the EBS are administration of
health insurance, life insurance, TSP, and all retirement programs for
Members and employees of the Senate. This includes counseling,
processing of paperwork, research, dissemination of information, and
interpretation of retirement and benefits laws and regulations. The EBS
staff is also expected to have a working knowledge of the FSA Program,
the Federal Long Term Care (LTC) Insurance Program and Federal
Employees Dental and Vision Insurance Program (FEDVIP). In addition,
the sectional work includes research and verification of all prior
Federal service and prior Senate service for new and returning
appointees.
The EBS provides this information for payroll input. It also
verifies the accuracy of the information provided and reconciles, as
necessary, when official personnel folders and transcripts of service
from other Federal agencies are received. Senate transcripts of
service, including all official retirement and benefits documentation,
are provided to other Federal agencies when Senate Members and staff
are hired elsewhere in the Government. The EBS is responsible for the
administration and tracking of employees placed in leave without pay to
perform military service, including counseling with regard to continued
benefits, TSP Make-up contributions and Reservist Differential
payments. The EBS participates fully in the Centralized Enrollment
Clearinghouse System (CLER) Program sponsored by OPM to reconcile all
FEHB enrollments with carriers through the National Finance Center. EBS
is responsible for its own forms inventory ordering and maintenance, as
well as all benefits, TSP, and retirement brochures, for the Disbursing
Office. The EBS processes employment verifications for loans, bar
exams, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, OPM, and the Department of
Defense (DOD), among others. Unemployment claim forms are completed,
and employees are counseled on their eligibility. Department of Labor
billings for unemployment compensation paid to Senate employees are
reviewed in the EBS and submitted by voucher to the Accounting Section
for payment, as are the employee fees associated with FSAs.
Designations of Beneficiary for Federal Employees' Group Life Insurance
(FEGLI), retirement, and unpaid compensation are filed and checked by
the EBS.
General Activities
The year began with an extended 2009 benefits open season through
January 31, 2010, as mandated by the OPM.
With the death of Senator Robert C. Byrd, EBS counseled the
Senator's survivors regarding all benefits payable and assisted with
claims processing. EBS also provided benefits transition counseling to
all staff employed by Senator Robert C. Byrd, as well as, the
processing of the resultant retirement cases. EBS provided incoming
benefits counseling to Senators who were appointed in 2010. In
addition, the EBS provided outgoing counseling and retirement case
processing to Senators who left office in 2010 and to their staff.
The year brought about many benefits changes. OPM issued guidance
resulting from Public Law 111-84, which allows for unused sick leave to
be credited towards FERS retirement and the ability to redeposit FERS
refunds. The Affordable Care Act of 2010 created important benefits
changes that were emphasized in the 2010 Federal Benefits Open Season.
FEHB and FSA incurred major changes in dependent eligibility rules.
Flexible spending account, health savings accounts, and health
reimbursement accounts were subject to over the counter over-the-
counter drug eligibility and grace period changes. Premium assistance
for temporary continuation of health insurance coverage under the
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 was extended through May
31, 2010.
OPM issued final regulations to expand the definition of
``qualified relatives'' under the long-term care insurance. TSP changes
in 2010 included the establishment of Spouse Beneficiary Accounts, the
L Fund 2050, and the August 1, 2010 implementation of the TSP Automatic
Enrollment provisions. In addition, the enrollment/change period for
the FEGLI Program was increased to 60 days.
Many employees changed health plans during the annual benefits open
season. These changes were processed and reported to carriers very
quickly. The Disbursing Office again offered Senate employees access to
the online ``Checkbook Guide to Health Plans'' to research and compare
FEHB plans. The Disbursing Office also hosted an open season benefits
fair, which was informational and well attended. The Benefits Fair
included representatives from local and national FEHB plans, as well as
representatives from LTC, FSA, and FEDVIP.
EBS conducted an agency-wide FERS seminar and attended interagency
Benefits Officers and TSP meetings. This was especially important this
year due to the many ongoing changes to many of the benefits programs.
EBS coordinated with the Office of Education and Training to
provide outgoing offices two sessions with the DC Department of
Employment Services and two sessions with the OPM to assist with
navigation of the Federal jobs Web site, USAJobs.
Disbursing Office Financial Management
Headed by the Deputy for Financial Management, the mission of
Disbursing Office Financial Management is to coordinate all central
financial policies, procedures, and activities; to process and pay
expense vouchers within reasonable timeframes; and to provide
professional customer service, training and confidential financial
guidance to all Senate accounting locations. In addition, the Financial
Management group is responsible for the compilation of the annual
operating budget of the United States Senate for presentation to the
Committee on Appropriations, and for the formulation, presentation and
execution of the budget for the Senate. On a semiannual basis, this
group is also responsible for the compilation, validation and
completion of the Report of the Secretary of the Senate. Disbursing
Office financial management is segmented into three functional
departments:
--Accounting;
--Accounts Payable; and
--Budget.
The Accounts Payable department is further subdivided into three
sections:
--Vendor Administration;
--Disbursements; and
--Audit.
The deputy coordinates the activities of the three functional
departments, establishes central financial policies and procedures, and
carries out the directives of the Financial Clerk and the Secretary of
the Senate.
Accounting Department
During 2010, the Accounting Department approved 52,000 expense
reimbursement vouchers and vendor uploads including 1,585 deposits for
items ranging from receipts received by the Senate operations, such as
the Senate's revolving funds, to cancelled subscription refunds from
Member offices. General ledger maintenance also prompted the entry of
thousands of adjustment entries that include the entry of all
appropriation and allowance funding limitation transactions, all
accounting cycle-closing entries, and all nonvoucher reimbursement
transactions such as payroll adjustments, COLA budget uploads, stop
payment requests, travel advances and repayments, and limited
payability reimbursements. The department continues to scan all
documentation for journal vouchers, deposits, accounting memos, and
letters of certification to facilitate both storage concerns and COOP
backup. The section also completed the 2009 year-end process to close
and reset revenue, expense, and budgetary general ledger accounts to
zero.
The Disbursing Office also started working with a Member's office
and the Senate Stationery Room to establish and design an online flag
ordering system using the Department of the Treasury's Pay.gov system
capabilities. The form has been completed and is undergoing review by
the Treasury. The Member's office will serve as a pilot office with
other offices joining as the process is refined. Testing is planned for
February 2011 with a possibility of other offices joining in March
2011.
The Department of the Treasury's monthly financial reporting
requirements includes a ``Statement of Accountability'' that details
all increases and decreases to the accountability of the Secretary of
the Senate, such as checks issued during the month and deposits
received, as well as a detailed listing of cash on hand. Also, reported
to the Department of the Treasury on a monthly basis is the ``Statement
of Transactions According to Appropriations, Fund and Receipt
Accounts,'' a summary of activity of all monies disbursed by the
Secretary of the Senate through the Financial Clerk of the Senate. All
activity by appropriation account is reconciled with the Department of
the Treasury on a monthly and annual basis. The annual reconciliation
of the Treasury Combined Statement is also used in the reporting to the
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) as part of the submission of the
annual operating budget of the Senate. During 2010, the Accounting
Department tested and implemented a FAMIS system report to calculate
the Treasury Combined Statement which is used for the OMB budget
submissions.
The Accounting Department continues to transmit Federal tax
payments for Federal, Social Security, and Medicare taxes withheld from
payroll expenditures, as well as the Senate's matching contribution for
Social Security and Medicare to the FRB through the IRS Electronic
Federal Tax Payment System (EFTPS). EFTPS is also be used to transmit
the quarterly 941 reports to the IRS. Payments for employee
withholdings for State income taxes were reported and paid on a
quarterly basis to each State with applicable State income taxes
withheld. System modifications installed in 2008 allow electronic ACH
payment of quarterly State taxes has resulted in a 64 percent
participation rate by taxing jurisdictions, up from 50 percent last
year. Twenty-seven of 42 tax jurisdictions are receiving their
quarterly State tax payments via ACH. Six States were added to the ACH
payments for the third quarter payments. System modifications are
necessary to transmit the remaining 15 tax jurisdictions via ACH
because of the unique State requirements for their transmissions.
Monthly reconciliations were performed with the National Finance Center
regarding the employee withholdings and agency matching contributions
for the TSP.
There are also internal reporting requirements, such as the monthly
ledger statements. These ledger statements detail all of the financial
activity for the appropriate accounting period with regard to official
expenditures in detail and summary form. It is the responsibility of
the Accounting Department to review and verify the accuracy of the
statements before Senate-wide distribution. During 2010 the Accounting
Department worked with the SAA computer staff to test the electronic
distribution of these monthly reports. It is hoped that this will be
implemented in 2011.
The Accounting Department, in conjunction with the Deputy for
Financial Management and the Assistant Financial Clerk, continues to
work closely with the SAA Finance Department in creating Senate-wide
financial statements in accordance with OMB Bulletin 01-09, ``Form and
Content of Agency Financial Statements'' and any updates required by
OMB Circular A-136, ``Form and Content of the Performance and
Accountability Reports''. Work continues toward the implementation of
the fixed asset system, and financial management software has been
upgraded and the license renewed.
Accounting also has a budget division whose primary responsibility
is compiling the annual operating budget of the United States Senate
for presentation to the Committee on Appropriations. The Budget
division is responsible for the preparation, issuance, and distribution
of the budget justification worksheets. The budget justification
worksheets for fiscal year 2012 were mailed to the Senate accounting
locations and processed in November 2010. The budget baseline estimates
for fiscal year 2012 were reported to OMB by mid-January 2011. The
budget analyst is also responsible for the preparation of 1099's and
the prompt submission of forms to the IRS before the end of the
January.
A/P: Vendor Administration
The Vendor Administration Section maintains the accuracy and
integrity of the Senate's central vendor (payee) file for the prompt
completion of new vendor file requests and service requests related to
the Disbursing Office's Web-based payment tracking system. This section
also assists the information technology (IT) department by performing
periodic testing and by monitoring the performance of the vendor
system. Currently, more than 17,300 vendor records are stored in the
vendor file, in addition to approximately 10,000 employee records.
Daily requests for new vendor addresses or updates to existing vendor
information are processed within 24 hours of receipt. Besides updating
mailing addresses, the section facilitates the use of ACH by switching
the mode of vendor payment from paper check to electronic deposit.
Whenever a new remittance address is added to the vendor file, a
standard letter is mailed to the vendor requesting tax and banking
information, as well as contact and email information. If a vendor
responds indicating they would like to receive ACH payments in the
future, the method of payment is changed.
All Web FMIS users are using the Staffer Functionality exclusively,
and new offices are automatically established with it. Senate employees
can electronically create, save, and file expense reimbursement forms,
track their progress, and get detailed information on payments using
this system. The most common service requests are for system user
identification and passwords and for the reactivation of accounts.
Employees may also request an alternative expense payment method.
Employees can choose to have their payroll set up for direct deposit or
paper check, but can have their expenses reimbursed by a method that
differs from their salary payment method.
The Vendor section works closely with the A/P Disbursements group
to resolve returned ACH payments. ACH payments are returned
periodically for a variety of reasons, including incorrect account
numbers, incorrect routing numbers, and, in rare instances, a
nonparticipating financial institution.
The Vendor section electronically scans and stores all supporting
documentation of existing vendor records and new vendor file requests.
When this section receives replies asking for ACH participation, the
vendors are asked if they wish to be notified by email when payments
are sent. Currently, more than 95 percent of ACH participants also
receive email notification of payment.
During 2010, the Vendor section processed more than 2,200 vendor
file additions, completed more than 3,200 service requests, mailed
approximately 1,100 vendor information letters, and converted more than
450 vendors from check payment to electronic payment.
A/P: Disbursements Department
The Disbursements Department is the entry and exit point for
voucher payments. The department physically and electronically receives
all vouchers submitted for payment. It also pays all of these vouchers,
as well as the items submitted by upload and the various certifications
and adjustments that are submitted periodically. The department
received approximately 107,000 vouchers. All of these items were paid
by the department via Treasury check or ACH. Multiple payments to the
same payee are often combined. As a result, 18,500 checks were issued,
while 71,100 ACH payments were required. The ACH volume increased 13
percent while the check volume decreased 18 percent for the year. This
is a desired result as the department continues its efforts to
substantially reduce reliance on paper checks.
The checkwriter system was upgraded and is now incorporated into
Web FMIS. The new functionality allows greater ease of access to
payment schedules for COOP purposes, but still maintains the security
necessary to prevent unauthorized use of the system. Payment schedules
may be retrieved, but payments cannot be made without proper
authorization. Tests have been conducted to ensure functionality in
case of emergency situations.
After vouchers are paid, they are sorted and filed by document
number. Vouchers are grouped in 6-month ``clusters'' to accommodate
their retrieval for the semi-annual Report of the Secretary of the
Senate. Files are maintained in-house for the current period and two
prior periods, as space is limited. Older documents are stored in the
Senate Support Facility (SSF). The inventoried items are sorted and
recorded in a database for easy document retrieval. Several document
retrieval missions were successfully conducted, and the department
continues to work closely with warehouse personnel.
A major function of the department is to prepare adjustment
documents. Adjustments are varied, and include re-issuance of items
held as accounts receivable collections, re-issuance of payments for
which nonreceipt is claimed, and various supplemental adjustments
received from the Payroll Department. Such adjustments are usually
disbursed by check, but an increasing number are now handled
electronically through the ACH. The department maintains a spreadsheet
that tracks cases of nonreceipt of salary checks, including stop
payment requests and re-issuance.
The department also prepares the stop payments forms as required by
the Department of the Treasury. Stop payments are requested by
employees who have not received salary or expense reimbursements, and
vendors claiming nonreceipt of expense checks. The Treasury Check
Information System (TCIS) allows the department to electronically
submit stop-payment requests and provides online access to digital
images of negotiated checks for viewing and printing. Once a check is
viewed, it is printed and may be scanned. Scanned images are then
forwarded to the appropriate accounting locations via email. During
2010, approximately 500 digital images of negotiated checks were
provided, and an additional 125 requests were received for stop
payments. The stop payment volume is a significant reduction (75
percent) and is attributable to increased ACH payment and the TCIS
check copy retrieval. The TCIS saves the Disbursing Office time, a
$7.50 processing fee for each request, is Web-based, and is accessible
from multiple workstations in Disbursing.
A/P: Audit Department
The A/P Audit Section is responsible for auditing vouchers and
answering questions regarding voucher preparation and the
permissibility of expenses and advances. This section provides advice
and recommendations on the discretionary use of funds to the various
accounting locations; identifies duplicate payments submitted by
offices; monitors payments related to contracts; trains new
administrative managers and chief clerks about Senate financial
practices and the Senate's FMIS; and assists in the production of the
Report of the Secretary of the Senate.
The section is organized at three different levels. The first level
is the supervisor. In addition to performing managerial tasks, the
supervisor also audits and sanctions vouchers as needed, and
coordinates testing related to system implementation and upgrades.
Eleven auditors process all incoming vouchers and uploads, and 3 of
them have the authority to sanction, on behalf of the Committee on
Rules and Administration, vouchers not exceeding $100. They also
sanction all travel and petty cash advances as well as non-Contingent
Fund items such as legal counsel, legislative counsel, and the Office
of Congressional Accessibility Services, as well as the for the
Congressional Oversight Panel.
A major function of the section is monitoring the fund advances for
travel and petty cash. Travel advances must be repaid within 30 days of
trip completion and petty cash advances must be repaid whenever new
funding authority is established. The system accommodates the issuance,
tracking, and repayment of advances. It also facilitates the entry and
editing of election dates and vouchers for Senators-elect. In addition
to other functionality, an advance type of petty cash was created and
is in use. Regular petty cash audits are performed by the section, and
all petty cash accounts were successfully audited in 2010.
The A/P Audit Section processed more than 107,000 expense items in
2010. Audit sanctioned approximately 56,000 vouchers under authority
delegated by the Committee on Rules and Administration. This translates
to roughly 9,600 vouchers processed per auditor, and 11,000 vouchers
posted per certifier. The voucher processing consisted of providing
interpretation of Senate rules, regulations and statutes and applying
the same to expense claims, monitoring of contracts, and direct
involvement with the Senate's central vendor file. On average, vouchers
greater than $100 that do not have any issues or questions are
received, audited, sanctioned electronically by the Senate Committee on
Rules and Administration using Web FMIS, and are expected to be paid
within 8 to 10 business days. These vouchers comprised more than 40
percent of all vouchers, and, as in the previous year, Disbursing
passed two postpayment audits performed by the Committee on Rules and
Administration. In 2010, the average for Committee on Rules and
Administration-sanctioned items was 5.45 days, and the average for
Disbursing sanctioned items was 3.55 days, roughly 10 percent faster
than the previous year.
Uploaded items are of two varieties:
--certified expenses; and
--vendor payments.
Certified expenses have been around since the 1980s, and include
items such as stationery, telecommunications, postage, and equipment.
Currently, the certifications include mass mail, franked mail, excess
copy charges, Photography Studio, and Recording Studio charges.
Expenses incurred by the various Senate offices are certified by SAA to
the Disbursing Office on a monthly basis. The expenses are detailed on
a spreadsheet which is also electronically uploaded. The physical
voucher is audited and appropriate revisions are made.
Telecommunications charges excepted, concentrated effort is put forth
to ensure certified items appear as paid in the same month they are
incurred. Telecommunications charges usually run 1 month behind as the
SAA must wait for the bills from external vendors.
Vendor uploads are used to pay vendors for the Senate Stationery
Room, Senate Gift Shop and State office rentals, and refund security
deposits for the Senate Page School. The methodology is roughly the
same as that for certifications, but the payments rendered are for the
individual vendors. Although these items are generally processed and
paid quickly, the State office rents are generally paid a few days
prior to the month of the rental, which is consistent with the general
policy of paying rent in advance.
The A/P Audit Group provided training sessions in the use of new
systems: the process for generation of expense claims and the
permissibility of expenses. They also participated in seminars
sponsored by the Secretary of the Senate, the SAA, and the Library of
Congress (LOC). The section trained 10 new administrative managers and
chief clerks and conducted four informational sessions for Senate staff
through seminars sponsored by the Congressional Research Service (CRS).
The A/P group also routinely assists the IT department and other groups
as necessary in the testing and implementation of new hardware,
software, and system applications. The implementation of Web FMIS 2010-
1 and 2010-2 allowed the SAA to use a Web-based system more
extensively. Additionally, new functionality was made available for
auditors to view the ESRs that accompany staff vouchers. A new menu
structure was also created for inquiries. Electronic invoicing for the
Senate-wide credit card provider, JP Morgan Chase, was also
implemented.
Disbursing Office Information Technology
FMIS
The Disbursing Office Information Technology (IT) department
provides both functional and technical assistance for all Senate
financial management activities. Activities revolve around support of
Web FMIS which is used by staff in 140 Senate accounting locations
(i.e., 100 Senate personal offices, 20 committees, 20 leadership and
support offices, the Office of the Secretary of the Senate, the SAA,
the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration Audit section, and the
Disbursing Office).
Responsibilities of the department include:
--supporting current systems;
--testing infrastructure changes;
--maintaining contact with system users to ensure their needs are
met;
--managing and testing new system development;
--preparing for the 112th Congress;
--planning;
--managing the FMIS project, including contract management;
--administering the Disbursing Office's Local Area Network (LAN); and
--coordinating the Disbursing Office's disaster recovery activities.
The Disbursing Office is the ``Abusiness owner@'' of FMIS and is
responsible for making the functional decisions about FMIS. The SAA
Technology Services staff is responsible for providing the technical
infrastructure, including hardware (e.g., mainframe and servers),
operating system software, database software, and telecommunications;
technical assistance for these components, including migration
management and database administration; and regular batch processing.
The office utilizes the support of a contractor, along with the SAA who
are responsible for operational support and application development.
The three organizations work cooperatively.
Highlights of the year include:
--supporting more than 4,000 FMIS users, of which 83 percent are
staff preparing ESRs;
--implementing three releases of FMIS, including two pilots and
moving the SAA onto Web-based interfaces:
--a pilot of electronic invoicing, by which a user can easily
create a voucher based on credit card data that the Senate
receives electronically;
--a new version of the ESR that builds the traveler's itinerary
based on the location of reported expenses. This reduces
rekeying of information by staffers and the number of
errors corrected by voucher preparers and the DO A/P staff;
and
--WebPICS for SAA requisitioners, approvers, receivers, and voucher
preparers; and
--testing infrastructure changes that included upgrades to the
mainframe operating system (Z/OS), the database (DB2), and the
mainframe user security module; and
--increasing the number of States to whom Disbursing sends State
taxes via direct deposit from 21 to 27; and
--preparing for the 112th Congress.
Supporting Current Systems
IT supports Web FMIS users in all 140 accounting locations, the
departments in the Disbursing Office (e.g., A/P, Accounting,
Disbursements, Vendor Administration, and Front Office sections), and
the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration Audit staff. The
activities associated with this responsibility include:
User Support.--Providing functional and technical support to all
Senate FMIS users; staffing the FMIS ``Ahelp desk@''; answering
hundreds of questions; and meeting with chiefs of staff,
administrative managers, chief clerks, and directors of various
Senate offices as requested;
Technical Problem Resolution.--Ensuring that technical problems
are resolved;
Monitor System Performance.--Checking system availability and
statistics to identify system problems and coordinate
performance tuning activities such as those for database access
optimization;
Security.--Maintaining user rights for all ADPICS, FAMIS, and Web
FMIS users;
System Administration.--Designing, testing, and making entries to
tables that are at the core of the system;
Support of Accounting Activities.--Performing functional testing
and production validation of the cyclic accounting system
activities. This includes rollover, the process by which tables
for the new fiscal year are created, and archive/purge, the
process by which data for the just lapsed fiscal year are
archived for reporting purposes and removed from the current-
year tables;
Support of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration
Postpayment Voucher Audit Process.--Providing the data from
which the Committee on Rules and Administration Audit staff
selects a statistically valid sample of vouchers for $100 or
less. In this way, the Committee on Rules and Administration
Audit staff review vouchers sanctioned under authority
delegated to the Financial Clerk; and
Training.--Providing functional training to all Senate FMIS
users.
Testing Infrastructure Changes
The SAA provides the infrastructure on which FMIS operates,
including the mainframe, the database, security hardware and software,
and the telecommunications network. Activities for changes to the
infrastructure include testing of all functionality prior to
implementation and validating critical functionality
postimplementation. During 2010, the SAA implemented two major upgrades
to the FMIS infrastructure. These included upgrading the database, DB2,
to version 9 in a two-step process, and upgrading the mainframe
operating system to version 1, release 11, and at the same time,
changing the mainframe security system to a Resource Access Control
Facility.
Maintaining Contact With System Users To Ensure Their Needs are Met
Communicating with our large user base is critical to provide the
excellent service. IT meets on a regularly scheduled basis with
representatives from Accounting, A/P, and the SAA. In addition, IT
meets with user groups as it gathers requirements for new
functionality. Meetings are advertised, and users self-select to
participate. This year, IT met with the administrative managers, chief
clerks, and their staff who prepare the ESRs to discuss changes to the
data entry for the ESRs. Additionally IT met with SAA users who prepare
vouchers to discuss voucher and inquiry functionality developed in the
second phase of ``WebPICS'', a Web-based front end to ADPICS with
additional functionality developed to address SAA user needs.
Managing and Testing New System Development
During 2010, IT supervised development, performed extensive
integration system testing, and implemented changes to FMIS subsystems.
The implementation and production verification activities were
completed over a weekend in order to minimize system downtime to users.
Since 2006, multiple sub-system upgrades have been consolidated into
two or three releases each year. This reduced the amount of regression
testing required. In order to accurately reflect the variety of changes
in each release, the releases are now numbered by fiscal year. During
2010, Disbursing implemented the following three major releases:
--FMIS r2010-1, implemented in January 2010;
--FMIS r2010-2, implemented in August 2010; and
--FMIS r2011-1, implemented in November 2010.
In addition, IT worked on functionality that will be included in
future releases, of which one, the FMIS Imaging Product Analysis is
especially important.
FMIS 2010-1
FMIS 2010-1 was implemented in January 2010. This release included
a small number of enhancements for WebFMIS users including an automated
password reset feature, a warning to the ESR user when their document
violates the 60-day election rule, adding graphs to the Web FMIS
summary reports, and implementing a pilot of electronic invoice
functionality, which allows a user to easily create credit card
vouchers based on invoices received electronically from the Senate's
credit card vendor. A pilot of the electronic invoice (EI)
functionality began in January and was offered to all offices in June
2010. By the end of 2010, 33 offices were using the EI functionality.
The main focus of this release was implementing WebPICS, which
enables SAA users to access ADPICS functionality through a Web-based
front end, and provides additional functionality, such as a robust
search function. The SAA follows a structured procurement process that
includes creating requisitions, creating purchase orders from
requisitions, receiving goods, entering invoices, and creating vouchers
from purchase orders. For many years, the SAA has used ADPICS, a
mainframe system, to perform these activities. This was especially
difficult for occasional users. Using a variety of technologies, the
WebPICS project replaces use of ADPICS with access to user-friendly Web
pages. This release, the first of three planned releases, focused on
the needs of requisitioners and requisition approvers, who are
occasional users, and included:
--a robust requisition search function, through which a user can find
a requisition, its related purchase order, any change orders,
and the document's history, by entering minimal information,
such as the create date, the commodity code used, by whom it
was created or the department for whom it was created;
--links to purchase orders via a viewer that formats mainframe data
into Web pages;
--a streamlined requisition create function that displays data from
multiple ADPICS screens on three tabs:
--basic information on the header tab;
--what is being requested and who will pay for it (i.e., commodity
information, commodity specifications, and the accounting
information) on the items tab; and
--additional information for the vendor on the terms tab;
--a streamlined requisition change order function that shows, on the
same page, the old information and the new information;
--look-up tables for selecting, rather than typing, information such
as commodity codes and accounting codes when searching for and
creating requisitions; and
--use of the existing Web FMIS inbox to identify, check out, view,
and approve or reject requisitions.
A pilot of SAA requisitioners and requisition approvers began using
WebPICS in early January 2010, and all requisitioners and approvers
were trained and began using this functionality by the end of April, 3
months ahead of schedule.
FMIS 2010-2
FMIS 2010-2 was implemented in August 2010. This release included a
small number of enhancements for ESR users, but was focused on
implementing new functionality for the SAA A/P process (e.g., receipt
of goods, invoice processing and approval, voucher creation, and
approval). Processes were simplified by automated retrieval of data
from existing purchase orders. WebPICS provides pop-up windows where
users enter the required data which the system uses to retrieve
information from the purchase order. The user simply verifies retrieved
data and adds information necessary to complete the process to create
receiving reports, invoices and vouchers for payments against purchase
orders.
Four additional new search windows provide ability to easily find
original and related documents, including related images stored by SAA
Finance in OnBase:
--receiving report search;
--invoice voucher search;
--expenditure search, which provides the ability to search for
expenses processed within WebFMIS, WebPICS, and via upload, the
combination of which was not previously available in one query;
and
--purchase orders search by vendor.
The third WebPICS release, which will focus on purchase order
creation and approval is scheduled for implementation in the spring of
2011.
FMIS 2011-1
FMIS 2011-1 was implemented in November 2010 and included:
--Adding two fields, invoice date and invoice receipt date, to the
WebFMIS document create page and to the document search
criteria page for all users;
--Ability for SAA users to search by project code and job code using
the document search criteria page;
--Ability for users using the electronic invoice functionality to
search by traveler's name using the document search criteria
page; and
--Introduction to a pilot group a new version of the ESR, ``Line Item
Entry''.
This version enables users to select 1 of 3 travel ESR types:
--single trip;
--multiple trips; or
--interdepartmental travel, which requires different information
depending on the type.
Users then create an ESR in a more simplified format, entering
expenses by date, location, and expense type on a line-by-line basis.
The locations are selected from a list of cities provided by the U.S.
Postal Service. This format enables the itinerary to be built
automatically from the locations entered for each expense and is
produced in the format that complies with the standards for the Report
of the Secretary. This version of the ESR is expected to reduce
rekeying by staff and reduce the corrections to itineraries made by
office managers, chief clerks, and the Disbursing Office's A/P staff. A
pilot of 10 offices and committees began in November 2010.
Additionally, this version has been given to all new Senators of the
112th Congress.
FMIS Imaging
During 2008, Disbursing implemented a prototype imaging system in
which paper vouchers and supporting documentation were imaged by
Disbursing staff and routed electronically. The hands-on experience of
this prototype was especially useful in refining system requirements.
Under the FMIS Imaging Product Analysis project, begun in 2009 and
completed in 2010, software for the image database and image viewer was
selected, and imaging and electronic signature requirements were
finalized. This information was coordinated with a separate SAA smart
card ID project; the smart cards will be used for electronic
signatures.
In October 2010, a task order for the adding document imaging and
electronic signatures to WebFMIS was signed. This task order outlines
work to be completed between now and the spring 2013 in three phases
(six releases), including:
Phase 1.--Imaging only pilot (spring 2011);
Phase 2.--Office imaging and signatures pilot (summer 2011),
extended pilot (winter 2012), and full roll-out (summer 2012);
and
Phase 3.--Staffer imaging and signatures pilot (winter 2012) and
rollout (spring 2013).
Preparing for the 112th Congress
Using statistical information from fiscal year 2009 and fiscal year
2010, IT prepared for each new Senator in the 112th Congress (including
those whose terms began at the end of the 111th Congress) budget
information based on the spending patterns for the 111th Congress.
Additionally, IT participated in the planning sessions for the new
office manager training at which Disbursing presented an outline for
training and a sample quick reference guide regarding Senate financing.
The WebFMIS training schedule for the first quarter of 2011 was
revamped to include Web FMIS classes every 2 weeks instead of once a
month.
Planning
The Disbursing IT department performs two main planning activities:
Schedule Coordination.--Planning and coordinating a rolling 18-
month schedule; and
Strategic Planning.--Setting the priorities for further system
enhancements.
Schedule Coordination
In 2010, this department continued to hold two types of meetings
between Disbursing and the SAA to coordinate schedules and activities.
These were:
Project-specific Meetings.--A useful set of project-specific
working meetings, each of which has a weekly set meeting time
and meets for the duration of the project (e.g., archive/purge
meetings and WebFMIS budget function meetings); and
Technical Meetings.--A weekly meeting to discuss the active
projects, including scheduling activities and resolving issues.
Strategic Planning
During 2010 Disbursing drafted a 5-year schedule based on earlier
meetings to ``envision the future''. This is still under discussion and
review and will be affected by the schedule for implementing a new
payroll system, which will require substantial changes to current
systems, including the interface from payroll into the General Ledger
(FAMIS) of payroll expenditures and projections, the interface from the
payroll system into the master vendor file (in FAMIS), and the payroll
reports provided to the offices via WebFMIS.
Managing the FMIS Project
The responsibility for managing the FMIS project was transferred to
the Disbursing IT department during the summer of 2003, and includes
developing the task orders with contractors, overseeing their work, and
reviewing invoices. In 2010, the following two new task orders were
executed:
Service Year 2011 Extended Operational Support.--Covers
activities from September 2010 to August 2011; and
FMIS Imaging Pilot.--Covers tasks for adding document imaging and
electronic signatures to WebFMIS. This task order outlines work
to be completed between now and the spring of 2013 (six
releases in three phases), and provides functionality for the
Secretary and the SAA, office managers/chief clerks, the
Disbursing Office A/P and Accounting staff, and Senate staff
who prepare ESRs (e.g., staff who travel).
In addition, work continued under two task orders executed in prior
years:
--Service year 2010 Extended Operational Support (covered activities
from September 2009 to August 2010); and
FMIS Imaging Product Analysis.--Analyzed what software will be
used for paperless voucher processing, including managing
images, viewing images, annotating images and reading smart
cards, which will have a component of the electronic signature.
Administering the Disbursing Office's LAN
The Disbursing Office continued to administer its own LAN, which is
separate from the network used by the rest of the Secretary's Office.
It is used by more than 50 staff. Upkeep of the LAN infrastructure,
including performing routine daily tasks and replacing equipment
regularly, is critical to providing services. In addition, there are a
number of specialized administrative applications that are housed on
the Disbursing Office LAN. During 2010, LAN administration activities
included:
--maintaining and upgrading the Disbursing Office's LAN;
--installing specialized software; and
--maintaining projects for the payroll and benefits section.
Maintaining and Upgrading the Disbursing Office LAN
Disbursing maintained the existing workstations with appropriate
upgrades including:
--installing OnWeb, a Web-based 3270 emulation software;
--imaging critical PCs for easy recovery from hard disk crash or
other PC failure;
--replacing SNAP servers with Buffalo Terra stations; and
--installing a video teleconferencing (VTC) unit in the Disbursing
Office conference room.
Installing Specialized Software
Disbursing is responsible for sending direct deposit payments to
the Federal Reserve Bank (FRB). During 2010, IT updated Disbursing's
access to the FRB, due to a change in FRB-supplied equipment and
ensured that access was functioning from the Alternate Computing
Facility (ACF).
Maintaining Projects for Payroll and EBSs
During 2010, Disbursing supported three specialized applications
for the Payroll and EBSs:
--IT continued to support the imaging system developed by SAA staff.
This system electronically captures and indexes payroll
documents submitted at the front counter, and is critical for
the Payroll and EBSs. At the end of 2009, a new version of this
software was installed and only minor updates were needed in
2010.
--In addition, the systems administrator moved the CLER application,
a health insurance benefits validation service, to a new
standalone personal computer and worked with the SAA Network
Operations staff to establish point-to-point security for
access to the Department of Agriculture.
--The Government Retirement Benefits (GRB) software, which enables
benefits counselors to easily estimate retirement benefits
based on different scenarios, is now available to Disbursing
staff.
Coordinating the Disbursing Office's Disaster Recovery Activities
Disbursing anticipates testing in 2011 to include fail-over of its
systems to the ACF, activity at the ACF, and a new activity: fail-back
of the changed production data.
administrative offices
Chief Counsel for Employment
The Office of the Senate Chief Counsel for Employment (SCCE) is a
nonpartisan office established at the direction of the Joint Leadership
in 1993 after enactment of the Government Employee Rights Act, which
allowed Senate employees to file claims of employment discrimination
against Senate offices. With the enactment of the Congressional
Accountability Act of 1995 (CAA), as amended, Senate offices became
subject to the requirements, responsibilities and obligations of 12
employment laws. The CAA also established the Office of Compliance
(OC). Among other things, the OC accepts and processes legislative
employees' complaints that their employer has violated the CAA.
The SCCE is charged with the legal defense of Senate offices in all
employment law cases at both the administrative and court levels. The
SCCE attorneys also provide legal advice to Senate offices about their
obligations under employment laws. Accordingly, each of the 140 offices
of the Senate is an individual client of the SCCE, and each office
maintains an attorney-client relationship with the SCCE.
The areas of responsibilities of the SCCE can be divided into the
following categories:
--Litigation (defending Senate offices in courts and at
administrative hearings);
--Mediations to resolve lawsuits;
--Court-ordered alternative dispute resolutions;
--Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) compliance;
--Union drives, negotiations, and unfair labor practice charges;
--Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance;
--Layoffs and office closings in compliance with the law;
--Management training regarding legal responsibilities; and
--Preventive legal advice.
Litigation, Mediations, Alternative Dispute Resolutions
SCCE defends each of the Senate employing offices in all court
actions, hearings, proceedings, investigations, and negotiations
relating to labor and employment laws. SCCE handles cases filed in the
District of Columbia and cases filed in any of the 50 States.
Compliance With OSHA and ADA
The CAA mandates that, at least once each Congress, the OC shall
inspect each Senate office to determine whether each office is in
compliance with the OSHA and the public accommodation portion of the
ADA. The CAA authorizes the OC to issue a public citation to any office
that is not in compliance.
SCCE provides legal assistance and advice to each Senate office to
ensure that it is complying with the OSHA and the ADA. SCCE also
represents each Senate office during the OC inspections and advises and
represents each Senate office when a complaint of an OSHA or ADA
violation is filed against the office or when a citation is issued.
In 2010, SCCE pre-inspected 1,225 Senate rooms to ensure that
Senate offices are complying with the OSHA and the ADA. Inspections
included all Member offices, leadership and committee offices, offices
of the SAA, offices of the Secretary of the Senate in the Capitol and
the Capitol Visitor Center (CVC), as well as the Hart, Dirksen, and
Russell Senate Office Buildings and offsite buildings used by the
Senate.
During 2010, the enthusiasm and participation of Senate offices in
SCCE's pre-inspection safety program resulted in perfect safety records
for 64 Member offices and 13 committees. At the conclusion of the
inspections, no Senate office had any significant safety problem, and
no citations were issued during the 111th Congress.
Training Regarding Legal Responsibilities and Employee Rights
An important part of the legal services the SCCE offers is
educating Senate managers of their obligations and employees' rights
under the employment laws that govern Senate offices. SCCE regularly
conducts legal training for Senators, Senators-elect, and their staff,
Senate employees, and Senate interns.
In 2010, the lawyers of SCCE gave 69 legal seminars to Senate
offices, including, among others:
--The Congressional Accountability Act of 1995: Management's Rights
and Obligations;
--Senators-elect Orientation: Managing Your Offices in Compliance
with Employment Laws;
--Staff of Senators-elect: How to Set Up and Manage a Senate Office
in Compliance with the Law;
--Hiring the Right Employee: Advertising, Interviewing and Conducting
Background Checks without Violating the Law;
--How to Conduct I-9 and E-Verify Checks on New Hires;
--Common Employment Law Mistakes Managers Make;
--Evaluating, Disciplining, and Terminating Employees without
Violating the Law;
--Sexual Harassment in the Workplace: What is Prohibited and What Are
Employees' Rights and Obligations;
--A Manager's Guide to Preventing and Addressing Harassment in the
Workplace;
--Diversity in the Workplace: The Americans with Disabilities Act:
What Managers Must Know about Complying with the Law;
--Military Service Academies Interviewing in Compliance with the Law;
--The Requirements of the Family and Medical Leave Act; and
--The Requirements of the Equal Pay Act.
In addition to the above 69 seminars, SCCE conducted a series of
monthly seminars covering all major employment laws that govern Senate
offices. The purpose of the seminars was to educate Senate management
staff about their responsibility to ensure that their respective
offices comply with the CAA. The series was open to all chiefs of
staff, staff directors, administrative directors, chief clerks, and
office managers. Individuals who completed the series received a
certificate of completion from the Secretary of the Senate.
SCCE, working with the Senate Radio and TV Studio, now streams its
seminars to all Senate State offices so that the managers in State
offices can participate electronically in all SCCE live seminars. In
addition, SCCE electronically stores SCCE seminars to allow Senate
managers who were unable to attend a seminar to review it
electronically from their desk monitors at a later date. Finally, to
ensure that all Senate managers, whether in Washington, DC or a State
office, can easily learn about and register for SCCE's seminars, SCCE
added an online seminar registration process to its Web site.
Legal Advice
SCCE meets daily with Members, chiefs of staff, administrative
directors, office managers, staff directors, chief clerks, and counsel
at their request to provide legal advice. For example, on a daily
basis, SCCE advises Senate offices on matters such as interviewing,
hiring, counseling, disciplining, and terminating employees in
compliance with the law; handling and investigating sexual harassment
complaints; accommodating the disabled; determining wage law
requirements; meeting the requirements of the Family and Medical Leave
Act; management's rights and obligations under union laws and the OSHA;
and management's obligation to give leave to employees for military
service. In 2010, the SCCE had more than 1,695 client legal advice
meetings.
Also, SCCE provides legal assistance to Senate offices to ensure
that their office policies, job descriptions, interviewing guidelines,
and performance evaluation forms comply with the law and are updated as
employment laws change. In 2010, SCCE prepared 229 policy manuals for
Member offices and committees.
Union Drives, Negotiations, and Unfair Labor Practice Charges
In 2010, the SCCE provided guidance to managers and supervisors
regarding their legal and contractual obligations under union
contracts.
Environmental, Cost, and Space Savings
It has now been 10 years since SCCE became the first Senate office
to convert to a ``paperless'' office. By doing this, SCCE has benefited
the environment, cut costs, cleared office space, reduced storage
needs, and become more efficient. Having accomplished that project,
SCCE turned its attention to eliminating hard copy legal books in its
office. To this end, in 2009 SCCE eliminated 50 percent of its hard
copy legal library. In 2010, SCCE further reduced its book inventory by
20 percent. SCCE achieved this through a combination of scanning and
converting to electronic books. In addition to the above-mentioned
benefits, this project saves the office more than $6,000 annually, has
freed approximately 288 square feet of office space, and has saved time
by eliminating the need for staff members to update legal books on a
weekly basis with new paper inserts.
conservation and preservation
The Office of Conservation and Preservation develops and
coordinates programs directly related to the conservation and
preservation of Senate records and materials for which the Secretary of
the Senate has statutory and other authority. Initiatives include:
--deacidification of paper and prints;
--phased conservation for books and documents;
--collection surveys, exhibits, and matting; and
--framing for the Senate Leadership.
Senate Library
As mandated in the 1990 Senate Library Collection Condition Survey,
the office continued to conduct an annual treatment of books identified
by the survey as needing conservation or repair. In 2010 conservation
treatments were completed for 173 volumes of a 7,000 volume collection
of House hearings. Specifically, treatment involved recasing each
volume as required, using alkaline end sheets, replacing acidic tab
sheets with alkaline paper, cleaning the cloth cases, and replacing
black spine title labels of each volume as necessary. The Office of
Conservation and Preservation will continue preservation of the
remaining 3,410 volumes.
Preservation
The Office of Conservation and Preservation completed 106 volumes
of House and Senate hearings and Congressional Records for the Senate
Library. These books were rebound with new end sheets and new covers
using the old spines when possible.
Committees
Conservation and Preservation assisted the Committee on the Budget,
Select Committee on Ethics, and the Joint Economic Committee with their
books being sent to the GPO for binding.
Exhibition
Conservation and Preservation assisted the Senate Historical and
Curator's offices in the installation of a new exhibition to mark the
150th anniversary of the Civil War. The exhibition replaced the
Inauguration exhibit in the Senate wing's first floor connecting
corridor.
curator
The Office of Senate Curator, on behalf of the Senate Commission on
Art, develops and implements the museum and preservation programs for
the United States Senate. The Curator collects, preserves, and
interprets the Senate's fine and decorative arts, historic objects, and
specific architectural features; and the Curator exercises supervisory
responsibility for the historic chambers in the Capitol under the
jurisdiction of the Commission. Through exhibitions, publications, and
other programs, the Curator educates the public about the Senate and
its collections.
Collections, Commissions, Acquisitions, and Management
This year 294 objects were accessioned into the Senate Collection.
Many of these historic objects were deposited with the Curator's Office
to ensure their safekeeping. These included a ticket from the 1945
Presidential Address to Congress; 13 artifacts from the 1939
congressional welcome of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth; 10 items
from the 1941 visit of Prime Minister Winston Churchill; 17 artifacts
from the 1943 visit of Madame Chiang Kai-Shek; various tickets,
programs, badges, passes, and other objects from 10 different Inaugural
ceremonies held between 1925 and 1989; 25 objects from funerals held in
the Senate Chamber; items from the 1953 memorial service for Senator
Robert A. Taft held in the Rotunda; and tickets from the Senate
nomination hearing for Elena Kagan as Associate Justice of the Supreme
Court of the United States.
A painting of Senator Bill Frist by artist Michael Shane Neal was
completed as part of the Senate Leadership Portrait Collection. It will
be unveiled in March 2011.
The most significant addition to the collection was the acquisition
of four small paintings by 19th century artist Constantino Brumidi,
created in preparation for frescoes in the Senate Reception Room (S-
213) and the Senate Committee on Military Affairs and Militia (S-128).
The Senate had long been aware of these historic oil sketches, which
formed the largest known private collection of Brumidi's Capitol works.
Thirty-nine new foreign gifts were reported in 2010 to the Select
Committee on Ethics and deposited with the Senate Curator's office on
behalf of the Secretary of the Senate. The office currently is
responsible for 211 foreign gifts, which are catalogued and maintained
in accordance with the Foreign Gifts and Decorations Act. Appropriate
disposition of 80 foreign gifts was completed following established
procedures.
The Office of Senate Curator continued to document and care for the
historic Russell Senate Office Building furnishings. In addition, the
search continued for Russell Senate Office Building furniture located
in private collections, museums, and libraries, and another 1909
partner desk was returned to the Senate from the University of Nevada
at Reno. In addition, the office drafted guidelines for the care of
these century-old furnishings to prevent the physical degradation of
the furniture, and, when appropriate, allow the pieces to be restored
to their original 1909 appearance.
The Curator's Office continued to work with the CVC project staff,
AOC representatives, and their consultants to resolve problems with the
heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) equipment in the
Curator's two CVC collection storage spaces. In June 2009, consultants
determined that the HVAC equipment installed in the new storage rooms
was unable to meet environmental requirements and needed to be
replaced. New equipment was ordered and installed in the larger of the
two rooms. Fine tuning of this system is nearing completion.
Replacement of the HVAC equipment in the smaller room began in January
2011. These HVAC systems are essential to the Curator's mission to
preserve the Senate's significant collections.
Maintenance of the Senate's historic clocks continued under a
program established in 2009 to provide regularly scheduled care. Since
the Curator's staff assumed responsibility last year for winding the
Senate's historic clocks, the opportunity to closely observe their
function has helped alleviate recurring problems with timekeeping.
The care of collections on display has benefitted from the addition
of an automated maintenance record system that is now part of the
Senate collection database. Regular cleaning and care of the art and
historic furnishings is now tracked and recorded. Staff is alerted when
an object is due for care based on this new automated maintenance
program, thus saving considerable time when scheduling and planning
work.
The office enhanced its emergency preparedness for the collection
by identifying local disaster recovery companies to assist in a
disaster, and finalizing an emergency disaster guide. The guide
provides contact information on local art handlers, shippers, and
conservators, as well as information on how to address the care of
specific materials in the event of fire, water, infestation, or a
chemical emergency. Additionally, all new loan agreements were
digitized in a portable document format for easy retrieval off-site,
and a map noting the current location of loaned objects was created to
allow quick identification of loans that may be affected in an
emergency situation.
The office continued its program of photographing all objects for
the collection database. More than 50 objects were photographed, and a
total of 859 images out of 4,598 were resized for consistency. Staff
also worked with the Senate Photographic Studio on several special
projects, including documenting new signatures in the Senate Chamber
desk drawers, recording conservation and installation of artwork, and
photographing historic spaces. Such documentation is important for
recordkeeping, disaster preparedness, use on Senate.gov, and for
publications promoting the Senate's collections.
In keeping with scheduled procedures, all Senate collection objects
on display were inventoried, noting any changes in location. In
addition, as directed by S. Res. 178 (108th Congress, 1st session), the
office submitted inventories of the art and historic furnishings in the
Senate to the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration. The
inventories, which are submitted every 6 months, are compiled by the
Curator's Office with assistance from the SAA and AOC's Superintendent
of Senate Office Buildings.
Both recordkeeping and protection of the Senate's historic mirror
collection received considerable attention. The object files and
database entries for all 94 mirrors were reviewed and updated based on
established registration standards. Taking advantage of renovation
work, the office installed protective plinths on two mirrors. By
raising the mirrors from the mantels and creating a larger footprint,
the plinths shield the mirror frames from spills, damage from objects
displayed on the mantels, and routine dusting. In addition,
implementation of a plan to provide routine, on-site professional care
for the Senate's gilded frames, including mirror and picture frames,
began in 2010. A list of treatable damage was developed and several
frames repaired. Seventeen mirrors were also cleaned.
The office coordinated the approval by the Senate Committee on
Rules and Administration and the Commission on Art of mirror movement
guidelines. The guidelines safeguard these important decorative objects
from unnecessary damage due to excessive handling, and preserve each
mirror's significance by retaining its historic association with a
room.
Staff worked with the SAA Cabinet Shop to develop a list of the
multiple components of the writing boxes that are part of the Senate
Chamber desks. A computerized drawing of one of the boxes was completed
to aid in the work. Many of these writing boxes have sustained damage
over the years, and a comprehensive survey is needed to prioritize
repairs. Once the survey is completed, the Cabinet Shop will begin
refurbishing the boxes.
The official Senate chinaware was used at 16 receptions for
distinguished guests, both foreign and domestic, including a luncheon
for the King of Jordan, a tea for the President of Russia, and a tea
for the President of Haiti. The Secretary's china was inventoried and
used at three receptions sponsored by the chairman of the Senate
Foreign Relations Committee.
Conservation and Restoration
In addition to the regular maintenance required for the Senate's
historic clocks, extensive conservation occurred on two clocks: the
``Ohio'' clock and the architectural shelf clock in the Old Senate
Chamber. Both clocks have significant histories, and are exceptional
examples of 19th century American clock making.
The ``Ohio'' clock was purchased from Thomas Voigt of Philadelphia
in 1816, to be used in the Senate Chamber after renovations were
completed following the burning of the Capitol by the British. After
194 years of continuous use, accumulated grime, layers of varnish, and
repairs had taken their toll on the case and the eagle. Conservators
conducted microscopic studies of the finish layers that had built up
over time. Their findings provided new and exciting information about
the clock, and were the basis for re-gilding the historic eagle. The
clock's movement also required extensive repairs, especially to the
hands and the timekeeping mechanism. As a result of this conservation,
the ``Ohio'' clock now accurately reflects its 19th century appearance,
and, it is hoped, will continue to run for another 200 years.
The architectural shelf clock was purchased from the Bailey and
Kitchen Company of Philadelphia in 1846 to serve as the timepiece for
the Old Senate Chamber following removal of the ``Ohio'' clock. The
Bailey clock needed thorough cleaning and repair, as well as
replacement of material that has worn away over time due to continuous
use. During the conservation of the two clocks, the Curator's office
obtained new information about their physical histories that could only
be discovered during the course of treatment.
A condition assessment was completed in order to develop a
comprehensive scope of work for the restoration of the Senate Chamber
desk inkwells and sanders. These artifacts date to about 1930, and are
starting to show their age. The evaluation helped identify damaged
glass in need of replacement, broken or missing hinges, and corrosion
to the metal and loss of patina. The next phase is to finalize a scope
of work and select a conservator. Conservation is projected to begin in
2012 when other work in the chamber is scheduled.
Three portraits recently acquired for the Senate Leadership
Portrait Collection received preservation treatment. The portraits of
Senators Robert C. Byrd, Tom Daschle, and Trent Lott were given a final
protective coating of varnish, which is done only after the paint is
completely dry.
The office began the restoration of the eight Flemish oak benches
purchased in 1899 for the Senate Reception Room. Over time, their
carved back panels had been removed, their seats and backs upholstered,
and they were poorly refinished multiple times. The conservation
process included research into the original carved panels and finish,
and the difficult repair of the extensive upholstery damage. Once
returned to the Senate, the benches will reflect their original
appearance, and be ready to provide another century of service.
Historic Preservation
The Senate's historic preservation program seeks to formulate a
solid preservation policy reflective of the Senate's interests and the
need to preserve the Capitol's historic fabric and historical artistic
intent. Through various initiatives, the preservation program has
positioned itself as a valuable resource for the Senate, ensuring that
all projects are carefully considered and weighed in light of sound
preservation practices.
The Curator's Office continued to work closely with the AOC and the
SAA to review, comment, plan, and document Senate-side construction
projects (many of which are long-term initiatives) that involve or
affect historic resources. Such construction and conservation efforts
included:
--energy lighting upgrades;
--first responder antennae installation;
--mural restoration;
--smoke purge system installation;
--wall and ceiling restoration;
--scagliola conservation;
--third floor plaster repair; and
--the Brumidi Corridors restoration.
Through this work, the Curator's Office was able to ensure that the
highest preservation standards possible were applied to all Capitol
projects. The Curator's office continued its participation in a working
group (whose other members were the SAA, AOC, and Rules Committee) to
engage in several building projects to conserve and protect public
spaces and historic assets. In areas with conserved scagliola, the
office worked with the SAA to develop and install various surface
protection measures. Similarly, the Curator's Office worked with the
SAA to devise a solution to the furniture in the Brumidi Corridors
north door entrance. The challenging Senate Reception Room restoration
and rehabilitation project, developed by the Senate Curator and the AOC
Curator, has successfully moved forward. A pilot conservation project
was initiated by the AOC for part of the decorative wall design. The
Reception Room has a very complex pattern of surface treatments that
involve delicate toned glazes and precise application methods. The
office arranged to have existing room condition drawings completed,
surveyed the floor tiles, and placed informational signs in the room
detailing the conservation. Once the pilot is completed in late 2011,
the restoration of the remaining wall surfaces should proceed more
quickly.
Regarding the Brumidi Corridors restoration, the office assisted
the AOC in garnering support for a comprehensive, time-bound plan for
finishing the corridors. With the support of the Committee on Rules and
Administration and Senate Commission on Art, it is hoped that this 5-
year plan can move forward in 2011. It will be a major achievement when
these treasured corridors can be returned to their original artistry.
Historic Chambers
The Curator's staff continued to maintain the Old Senate and Old
Supreme Court Chambers, and coordinated periodic use of both rooms for
special occasions. The office staff worked with the USCP on the
procedures developed to record the after-hours access to the historic
chambers by current Members of Congress. Eighty-five requests were
received from current Members for after-hours access to the Old Senate
and Old Supreme Court Chambers.
Of special significance in the Old Senate Chamber was the re-
enactment swearing-in ceremonies for five Senators, and the closed
Senate session on the New START Treaty.
Loans to and From the Collection
A total of 61 historic objects and paintings are currently on loan
to the Curator's Office on behalf of Senate leadership and offices in
the Senate wing of the Capitol. The staff returned five loans,
coordinated six new loans, and renewed loan agreements for 34 other
objects. More than 37 loans are projected to be renewed next year.
Publications and Exhibitions
The Senate Commission on Art's enabling legislation (2 U.S.C. 2104)
requires that ``at least every ten years'' a Senate document be
published which lists all works of art, historical objects, and
exhibits currently within the Senate wing of the Capitol and the Senate
Office Buildings. The document was published this year with the
assistance of GPO. Encompassing more than 4,000 works of art and
artifacts, the inventory records the growth of the Senate collection
over the last 10 years; demonstrates the office's concerted effort to
acquire objects that enhance the collection; and provides a publicly
accessible list of the entire collection.
At the request of the Republican Leader's Office, the Curator
worked with the Senate Historical Office to produce a booklet to
supplement the existing Leader's suite brochure. The supplemental
publication includes color images and descriptions on the art in the
suite and highlights Kentucky connections to the suite's history.
In recognition of the Congressional Gold Medal to be awarded to
Constantino Brumidi, the office developed a publication on the
Capitol's artist. Staff worked with GPO on the layout and design for
the book, and the first two chapters have been completed. This
illustrated publication will highlight new scholarship from historians,
curators, and conservators about Brumidi's artistic endeavors in the
Senate wing of the Capitol.
In conjunction with the Senate Library and Senate Historical
Office, staff installed two exhibits outside the newly remodeled
Dirksen G-50 hearing room as requested by the Rules Committee. The
exhibits were placed in the showcases built into the walls of the
room's vestibule. One case highlights Senator Everett M. Dirksen, for
whom the building was named; the other case features the building--its
origins, construction, and architectural details.
A new exhibition was installed to mark the 150th anniversary of the
Civil War, replacing the Inauguration exhibit in the Senate wing's
first floor connecting corridor. This project was a joint effort
between the Senate Historical Office, Curator's Office, with assistance
from the Office of Conservation and Preservation, GPO, and the AOC
Paintings and Decorating Division. Traditionally, the story of the
Civil War is told from the perspective of the President or his military
commanders, but this exhibit illustrates the crucial role played by the
Senate and its Members during this national crisis.
Curator's staff finalized an online Web exhibit on Senate.gov
dispelling myths and rumors often heard about Senate art. Seven
different ``myths'' are included in the initial posting, featuring the
most prominent and oft-repeated apocryphal stories. The office also
increased its presence on the Web this year with a new section
highlighting the Senate's decorative art collection. Seventy-two
artifact pages were posted, from gilded mirrors and historic clocks, to
Senate Restaurant china, snuff boxes, and other important Senate
heirlooms. In addition, an online exhibition featuring artifacts
related to funerals held in the Senate Chamber was posted; and a new
Web section titled, ``Curator's Picks,'' highlighting the Curator's
favorite works in the Senate Collection, will be completed shortly.
Staff also proceeded with the design and outline for an historic spaces
section for Senate.gov. When completed, the site will guide visitors
through such treasures as the Old Senate and Old Supreme Court
Chambers, the President's Room, and other significant historic spaces.
At the request of the Committee on Rules and Administration, and
pursuant to S. Res. 53, the office installed a bronze plaque honoring
the work of African-American slaves in building the U.S. Capitol. The
plaque is located in the third floor east front connecting corridor of
the Senate wing, where a portion of the Capitol's original 1800
exterior wall can be seen.
Collaborations, Educational Programs, and Events
The Curator's staff assisted the National Archives again this year
with two exhibits for display in the vault at the Center for
Legislative Archives. Objects related to the Senate Chamber's 150th
anniversary continued on display, and were replaced with an exhibition
of objects related to Constantino Brumidi.
The Curator and staff assisted with numerous CVC-related projects
throughout the year. The Curator, Associate Curator, and administrator
provided support for the Congressional Historical Interpretation
Program (CHIP), including developing a new e-learning program and
guidebook; participated in the morning ``briefings'' to the Capitol
Guide Service to better inform them on Senate art and history;
conducted exhibition lectures for the public; reviewed exhibition text
and images; and at the request of the CVC oversight for the Senate, the
Senate Committee on Rules and Administration, continued to work closely
with the House Curator and AOC Curator to review products and
publications for the CVC gift shop.
The Senate Curator assisted the AOC Curator and House Curator on
various art-related research and projects, most notably the Rosa Parks
commission, display of the House Bierstadt paintings, and conservation-
related matters. The Senate Curator and staff also gave lectures on the
Senate's art and historical collections to various historical groups
and art museums. The staffs further assisted with the Secretary's
Senate staff lecture and tour series and were regular contributors to
Unum, the Secretary's newsletter.
Office Administration and Automation
The collections management database was reviewed, assessed, and
improved to include the reconfiguration of the artist information,
updates to loan and inscription records, and the creation of an object
maintenance table. This work will allow more efficient search
capabilities, a stable database, and an easier way of transferring
information into reports.
In the area of file management, the Curator's staff completed a
major restructuring of the office's electronic files, applying a new
organizational matrix and file naming protocols. Combined with this
effort, the office developed and implemented project close-out
procedures. This standardization and consistent records collation has
greatly improved the usability of the office resources, streamlined
office recordkeeping, and enhanced research capabilities.
COOP Planning
In the area of COOP preparedness, the office conducted its annual
table top exercise and trained staff to use remote desktop access
through a series of work-from-home exercises. The exercises proved
effective in identifying problems and troubleshooting issues before a
true emergency occurs.
Objectives for 2011
Conservation and preservation of the Senate's collections continue
to be a priority, and several major projects are planned for 2011. Two
of the Senate's most iconic works in the Old Senate Chamber will be
restored:
--the Eagle and Shield sculpture; and
--the portrait of George Washington by Rembrandt Peale.
In preparation, a detailed review of past treatments and analyses
by various conservators was undertaken in 2010. A scope of work will be
developed and a panel of experts will assist in the review process. The
conservation schedule will be coordinated with repairs planned in the
Old Senate so that the works of art are out of harm's way when
renovations begin. Additionally, conservation of the Senate Reception
Room benches will be completed.
Based on the findings from a condition assessment of the Senate's
collection of historic clocks completed in 2008, the Curator's Office
will continue to schedule necessary conservation for the clocks to
avoid deterioration of their parts and their function as accurate
timepieces. The tall case clock in the Vice President's Ceremonial
Office is next scheduled for treatment; both the case and movement will
require conservation.
Staff will begin the survey of the Senate Chamber desk writing
boxes, with the assistance of the SAA Cabinet Shop, and develop a plan
for their repair and ongoing maintenance. The interior and exterior of
the writing boxes will be assessed for condition, and the various
components will be inspected and documented. Repair work will begin in
2012, depending on the Senate's schedule.
With regards to the care of the Senate's historic mirrors, staff
will inventory the historic Russell House Office Building mirrors and
initiate a maintenance program for the nine historic oversized mirrors
located in committee hearing rooms. In order to increase the skill and
knowledge of the Curator's Office, several staff will participate in
hands-on training related to basic gilded frame repair. This will
reduce the need for professional conservators, improve the response
time to urgent repairs, and save the Senate money over time.
In the area of collections management, the office will continue
reviewing photographs in the collections database to ascertain that
each object has a documentation photograph and that it meets required
size parameters.
The office will further efforts to locate and recover historic
artifacts associated with the Senate, specifically tickets and programs
to Senate Chamber funerals and historic furnishings associated with the
Senate and Supreme Court (when it met in the Capitol).
The Curator's staff will confer with the AOC regarding preservation
issues related to Senate restoration and remodeling projects,
disseminate project information to the Senate, develop preservation
projects at the request of the Senate, conduct condition inspections,
and arrange necessary maintenance. The bulk of the office's project
management will involve advancing the restoration and rehabilitation of
the Brumidi Corridors, the Senate Reception Room, and the Strom
Thurmond Room.
With the assistance of GPO and the AOC Senate Superintendent, the
Curator's Office will create a new educational exhibit and brochure for
the sculpture Mountains and Clouds, located in the Hart Senate Office
Building atrium. The exhibit will feature information on the artist,
sculpture, conservation, and the maquette, or scale model. An exhibit
will also be mounted for the four new Brumidi paintings. The sketches
will be displayed in a public area, so that staff and visitors can
appreciate these important works of art.
Other education efforts will focus on Senate.gov. Staff will
continue to add objects to the decorative art section, as well as
update the Senate Chamber desk site to reflect the new seating
arrangement for the 112th Congress. A Web supplement will be added to
the United States Senate Catalogue of Fine Art, highlighting the art
collected by the Senate since the catalogue was published in 2002.
Additionally, the office will develop a schematic and assemble
resources for posting the historic spaces site. The first room targeted
will be the Old Senate Chamber. The historic spaces site will feature
the historical, artistic, and decorative elements of each space, as
well as restoration details where applicable.
The collections management database will be reviewed by the office
to determine if it can continue to serve the Senate's growing needs.
The collections database will also be backed up, cloned, and compressed
on a regular basis to prevent further corruption or potential loss of
data.
The office maintains a digital documentation database of all
legislation, precedents, and procedures related to the Senate
Commission on Art and Senate Curator's Office. These electronic records
will be upgraded and implemented with indexes and full annotations,
allowing easier search capabilities and access during a COOP emergency.
Also in the area of COOP preparedness, the office will conduct its
annual table top exercise, will refine and improve the navigability of
its online COOP plan, and will continue with its series of work-from-
home exercises to best prepare the office for an emergency situation.
Finally, the office will plan for any crisis that may affect the
Senate's collections by finalizing the disaster recovery guide to
include the new collection storage areas in the CVC.
education and training
The Joint Office of Education and Training provides employee
training and development opportunities for all Senate staff in
Washington, DC and the States. There are two branches within the
office: Education and Training and Health Promotion. The Education and
Training branch is responsible for providing management and leadership
development, training on human resources issues and staff benefits,
writing, editing, legislative research and time management, as well as
offering technical training support for approved software packages and
equipment and new staff and intern information in either Washington, DC
or the State offices. This branch provides training as instructor-led
classes; one-on-one coaching sessions; specialized vendor provided
training; video teleconferencing; webinars; Internet-based training,
documentation, job-aids, and quickcards. The Health Promotion branch
provides seminars, classes, and screenings on health and wellness
issues. This branch also coordinates an annual health fair for all
Senate employees and plans blood drives every year.
Capitol Hill Training Events
The Office of Education and Training offered 1,278 classes and
events on Capitol Hill in 2010, drawing more than 10,000 participants.
The registration desk handled more than 25,000 email and phone requests
for training and documentation.
The above total includes 438 customized training sessions for 1,937
staff members. These sessions ranged from in-depth training of Senate
office system administrators, conflict resolution, and organizational
development. The office provides individual consultation on Web site
development and office systems training, as well as classes in resume
and interviewing skills building for staff whose Members have died,
announced their retirements, or been defeated.
The Senate's Intern Program is also a focus of the office. The
office provides training for intern coordinators as well as five
orientation and training sessions for approximately 500 interns.
The annual Senate Services Expo for Senate office staff had 35
presenters from the offices of the Secretary of the Senate, SAA, AOC,
USCP, and LOC providing an overview of their services to 250 staff.
This is part of the orientation for new staff and the aides to the
Senators-elect in addition to the seven orientation sessions held
shortly after the November elections.
State Training Events
The Office of Education and Training provided 85 learning
opportunities to State offices for which 2,813 State staff registered.
The office continues to offer the State Training Fair Program and
video teleconferencing and webinars as a means to train State staff. In
2010, two sessions of the State Training Fairs were attended by 63
State staff. In addition, 62 State administrative managers and
directors attended the State Directors Forum; 43 State staff
participated in a a Constituent Services Forum. Education and Training
also provided advanced all-staff meeting facilitation to more than 20
offices that were attended by more than 650 staff. Additionally, the
office offered 33 Video Teleconferencing classes, for which 1,707 State
staff registered and 28 webinars that were attended by 288.
To date, 692 State and Hill staff have registered and accessed a
total of 1,534 different lessons and publications using Internet-based
training covering technical, professional, and language skills. This
allows staff in both the Hill and State to take training at their
convenience. Education and Training also provides 54 Senate-specific
self-paced lessons that have been accessed more than 3,200 times.
Health Promotion
In the Health Promotion area, 3,070 staff participated in 56
activities throughout the year. These activities included:
--lung function and kidney screenings;
--eight blood drives;
--the Health and Fitness Day;
--seminars on health-related topics; and
--the Annual Senate Health Fair.
Health Promotion also coordinates Weight Watchers, yoga, and
Pilates sessions using its revolving fund. More than 260 staff
participated in at least one of these programs.
gift shop
Since its establishment in 1992 (2 U.S.C. 121d), the Senate Gift
Shop has continued to provide outstanding service and products that
maintain the integrity of the Senate while increasing the public's
awareness of its mission and history. The gift shop serves Senators,
their spouses, staffs, constituents, and the many visitors to the U.S.
Capitol complex. The products available include a wide range of fine
gift items, collectibles, and souvenirs created exclusively for the
U.S. Senate.
Facilities
In addition to three physical locations, the gift shop has an
online presence on Webster, the Senate's Intranet. The Web site
currently offers an increasing selection of products that can be
purchased by phone, email, or by printing and faxing the order form
provided on the Web site. Along with offering over-the-counter and
walk-in sales, as well as limited Intranet services, the gift shop
administrative office provides mail order service via phone or fax, and
special order and catalogue sales via in person visit, email, phone, or
fax.
The gift shop maintains two warehouse facilities. The bulk of the
gift shop's stock is held in the Senate Storage Facility (SSF), an
offsite warehouse. While the SAA is in charge of the overall management
of the SSF, the director of the gift shop has responsibility for the
operation and oversight of the interior spaces assigned for gift shop
use. Storing inventory in this centralized, climate-controlled facility
provides protection for the gift shop's valuable inventory in terms of
physical security as well as improved shelf life for perishable and
nonperishable items alike.
The second gift shop warehouse is maintained within the Capitol
complex. This facility serves as the point of distribution of
merchandise to the gift shop store and the Capitol gift shop counter,
both of which have limited storage space. This warehouse accommodates
the gift shop's receiving, shipping, and engraving departments, as well
as supplying the inventory sold through the administrative and special
order office.
Sales Activities
Sales recorded for fiscal year 2010 were $1,566,884.32. Cost of
goods sold during this same period was $1,275,359.81, accounting for a
gross profit on sales of $291,524.51.
In addition to tracking gross profit from sales, the Senate Gift
Shop maintains a revolving fund and a record of inventory purchased for
resale. As of October 1, 2009, the balance in the revolving fund was
$2,969,766.74. The inventory purchased for resale was valued at
$2,964,598.93.
Additional Activity
Government Accountability Office (GAO) Audit
At the request of the Secretary of the Senate, in September 2010,
GAO conducted an inventory observation and audit of the gift shop
financial operations. The established departmental procedures and
policies implemented on a daily, monthly, and annual basis proved to be
instrumental in the gift shop's achieving a positive review during the
verbal feedback portion of the GAO exit interview. The recommendations
provided by the GAO at the conclusion of their observation had either
already been implemented or will be adapted as recommended as part of
our future operational procedures.
Environmental Fair
The gift shop participated in both 2010 U.S. Senate Environmental
and Energy Fairs sponsored by the AOC. Environmentally friendly
products that were displayed included wooden flag and desk boxes,
wooden pens, custom-designed wrapping paper produced from recycled
paper, aluminum water bottles, biodegradable travel mugs, and a travel
mug produced from 100 percent U.S. natural corn products.
Selected Accomplishments in Fiscal Year 2010
Official Congressional Holiday Ornaments
The design and style of this year's Congressional Holiday Ornament
reflected a new direction for the gift shop ornament program. No longer
part of a 4-year series with a unifying theme, this year the ornament
was created of cutwork metal assembled to create a three-dimensional
scene. Colorful enameling on all sides completed the effect. The 2010
holiday ornament is a winter scene of the east front of the Capitol on
a snowy evening with a horse-drawn carriage that suggests a time in our
history near the end of the 18th century.
Sales of the 2010 holiday ornament exceeded 29,000 ornaments, of
which more than 5,700 were personalized with engravings designed,
proofed, and etched by Senate Gift Shop staff. This highly successful
effort was made possible by the combined efforts of our administrative,
engraving, and store staffs.
Bookmarks
New products introduced in 2010 included bookmarks depicting images
of flowers and ground covers that are often planted by the AOC on the
Capitol grounds. In all, there are 11 varieties of plants depicted on
the canvas palettes. The images on these 2 8 canvas bookmarks
serve as a unique reminder of the ever-changing appearance of the
Capitol flower beds, and the anticipated timely changes that regularly
occur because of the area's seasonal weather conditions.
Webster Intranet Site
The Web site continues to expand with the addition of new
merchandise with assistance from the Senate Photography Studio. Product
descriptions are written in house.
The gift shop contributes an article highlighting products and
services to each issue of the Secretary's UNUM newsletter. In turn, the
Web site links to the electronic version of UNUM, a practice that has
increased traffic to the Web site and may be responsible for an
increase in the use of gift shop services by State offices.
Projects Recently Produced and New Initiatives for 2010
CVC
The Senate Gift Shop continued to supply them with a wide variety
of inventory product, offering service when needed, and advice on
purchase order, invoice, and operational processes.
Congressional Plate Series
The latest 8-year, four-plate series of the 112th, 113th, 114th,
and 115th Congress has been produced. The 112th plate is currently
being offered for sale. The plates for each of the future Congresses
will be made available during that respective congressional session.
This series has once again been designed and produced by Tiffany & Co.
The designs depict art and architecture from four of the most
historically significant rooms in the Capitol: the Senate
Appropriations Room, Old Senate Chamber, Old Supreme Court Chamber, and
President's Room.
historical office
Serving as the Senate's institutional memory, the Historical Office
collects and provides information on important events, precedents,
dates, statistics, and historical comparisons of current and past
Senate activities for use by Members and staff, the media, scholars,
and the general public. The Office staff advises Senators, officers,
and committees on cost-effective disposition of their noncurrent office
files and assists researchers in identifying Senate-related source
materials. The historians keep extensive biographical, bibliographical,
photographic, and archival information on the more than 1,900 former
and current Senators. The staff edits for publication historically
significant transcripts and minutes of selected Senate committees and
party organizations, and conducts oral history interviews with key
Senate staff. The photo historian maintains a collection of
approximately 40,000 still pictures that includes photographs and
illustrations of Senate committees and nearly all former Senators. The
Office staff develops and maintains all historical material on the
Senate Web site, Senate.gov.
Editorial Projects
Sesquicentennial of the Civil War
The Historical Office has engaged in a number of projects to
commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Senate's role in the Civil
War. Historians have teamed with the Senate Curator to produce an
exhibit in the Capitol on ``The Senate's Civil War'', and have assisted
the staff of the CVC in selecting items for display related to the
Civil War and Reconstruction. The historians have also prepared a
booklet for distribution to remind Americans of the legislative and
investigatory component of a story that is more often presented from a
military or Presidential perspective. These projects will be
complemented by online features on the Senate's Civil War experience.
Revised Kennedy Caucus Room Brochure
The Senate's naming of the Russell House Office Building Caucus
Room in memory of John F., Robert F., and Edward Kennedy prompted the
revision and redesign of the brochure for the room. The brochure is
often used by Senators who host meetings in the Caucus Room. In
addition to explaining the architectural and legislative history of the
room, the brochure includes information on the Senators Kennedy and
their individual connections to the Caucus Room along with updated
photographs.
Documentary Histories of the U.S. Senate
The Historical Office continued work on its online documentary
history series, which presents case studies and primary-source
documentation for all contested Senate elections, censure and expulsion
cases, impeachment trials, and major investigations. Intended for use
within the Senate and by the general public, these documentary
histories are particularly valuable for teachers who seek to include
primary-source documents in their lesson plans. This project also
allows the Historical Office to update case studies of past events, and
to add new case studies as needed, eliminating the need for new print
editions of past publications, reducing costs and paper use. Three
parts (contested elections, censures, and expulsions) of this five-
stage project have been completed, and substantial progress was made in
the remaining two categories. Two cases were added this year in the
impeachment category, as well as a revised and updated summary page on
major investigations and case studies on the Pecora banking and
Watergate investigations. A third case study of the Civil War-era Joint
Committee on the Conduct of the War is nearing completion as well.
States in the Senate
In this collaborative project, staff historians have created
timelines and compiled selected illustrative images for each of the 50
States. The States in the Senate will highlight persons and events in
the State's history that relate to the U.S. Senate to be featured on
Senate.gov, which informs Senators, staff, and constituents alike. A
Web design for the project has been created in partnership with the GPO
and Web Technology that provides an interactive timeline for each State
with links to relevant documentary and visual material, along with a
table of Senators from each class with service dates. Staff have begun
entering the timeline data and lists of Senators, and have begun
identifying images for each timeline.
Administrative History of the Senate
The associate historian continued to prepare a historical account
of the Senate's administrative evolution since 1789. This study traces
the development of the offices of the Secretary of the Senate and SAA,
considers 19th and 20th century reforms that resulted in reorganization
and professionalization of Senate staff, and looks at how the Senate's
administrative structure has grown and diversified.
Rules of the United States Senate, Since 1789
In 1980, Senate parliamentarian emeritus Dr. Floyd M. Riddick, at
the direction of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration,
prepared a publication containing the eight codes of rules that the
Senate adopted between 1789 and 1979. In the 1990s, the Senate
Historical Office staff, in consultation with Dr. Riddick, developed a
project to incorporate an important feature not contained in the 1980
publication. Beyond simply listing the eight codes of rules, the
Office's goal is to show how--and why--the Senate's current rules have
evolved from earlier versions. The Senate's historian emeritus has
continued work on this project, which will contain eight narrative
chapters outlining key debates and reasons for significant changes.
Appendices will include the original text of all standing rules and,
for the first time in one publication, all changes adopted between each
codification.
Biographical Directory of the U.S. Congress, 1774-present
The Historical Office continues to expand and update the
Biographical Directory of the U.S. Congress as needed, including adding
new Member biographical entries and bibliographical citations that
incorporate recent scholarship. The Senate historians continue to work
closely with the historical staff of the House of Representatives to
maintain accuracy and consistency in this joint Senate-House database,
and to promote this valuable resource among historians, teachers,
students, and the public. Senate and House historians and technical
staff for the House of Representatives have collaborated to plan an
update of the online site in appearance and functionality, and have
approved a new template and overall appearance for the Directory. The
Senate archivist and her deputies have worked to expand and revise the
``Research Collections'' aspect of the database.
Party Conference Minutes, 1965-1977
In 1998 and 1999 the Historical Office staff edited, indexed, and
published the Minutes of the Senate Democratic and Republican
Conferences covering the years prior to 1964. The Historical Office is
currently preparing a similar volume for the Democratic Conference
including its minutes from 1965 to 1977. After January 1973, verbatim
transcripts were prepared for each Conference meeting, considerably
enlarging the documentation. This project has involved scanning and
editing 2,869 pages of transcripts for 102 meetings of the Conference
and inclusion of an index and explanatory annotations. With the
approval of the Conference, the minutes will be published, and a
similar editorial project will be proposed for the Republican
Conference minutes for this time period. The office has scanned an
additional 3,115 pages of transcripts for the 73 conferences between
1977 and 1982, for future publication.
Dirksen Senate Office Building Exhibits
The remodeling of the Dirksen Senate Office Building auditorium
into a hearing room created two large exhibit cases at its entrance.
Working with the staff of the Senate Curator and the Senate Library,
the Historical Office prepared exhibits that have now been installed on
the life and career of Senator Everett M. Dirksen, Senate Republican
leader from 1959 to 1969, and on the design and functioning of the
office building named in his memory.
Oral History Program
The Historical Office staff conducts a series of oral history
interviews to record personal recollections of various Senate careers.
Interviews were conducted with former Senator Roland W. Burris; Richard
Ahrenberg, who served on the staffs of Senators Paul Tsongas, George
Mitchell, and Carl Levin; Richard Baker, the Senate's Historian
Emeritus; Eliza Letchworth, former Republican Secretary; Charles
Ludlam, a former staff member for Senators James Abourezk and Joseph I.
Lieberman; and James Zigler, former Senate SAA. The office also
conducted an interview with Martin Charboneau and Mikhaila Fogel, the
pages who volunteered to stay behind and serve during the last weeks of
debate on the healthcare bill in December 2009. The office has also
continued to seek and conduct interviews with current and former Senate
spouses, and expanded on its collection of interviews highlighting the
role of women on Capitol Hill. The complete transcripts of 30
interviews conducted since the 1970s have been posted on Senate.gov.
That site features a different oral history interview series each
month, including digital audio-clips along with the interview
transcripts. The Historical Office has worked with the National
Archives to digitize past oral history interviews, which had been
archived on magnetic tape, for preservation purposes. Digitization also
allows for inclusion of short audio segments on Senate.gov. For Unum,
the Secretary of the Senate's newsletter, the staff has created a
regular series entitled ``Senate Voices'', which includes excerpts from
the oral histories with a contextual introduction.
Member Services
Educational Outreach
The historian and associate historian delivered a series of
``Senate Historical Minutes'' at the weekly Democratic and Republican
Conference luncheons. These ``minutes'' highlighted significant events
and personalities associated with the Senate's institutional
development. Many of them are now included on Senate.gov as
``Historical Minute Essays.'' The assistant historian advised the
congressionally mandated 50th Anniversary of the Vietnam War
Commemoration group of notable Senate accomplishments during the
Vietnam War era to be included in national commemorative event
planning.
Members' Records Management and Disposition Assistance
The Senate archivist held meetings with staff of Members who had
announced their retirement to discuss schedules for closing and to
ascertain specific archiving needs. These meetings emphasized planning
for the preservation of permanently valuable records, particularly
electronic records and selecting a home State repository with necessary
preservation resources. Information and insights derived from these
meetings has been incorporated into an ``archives toolkit'', providing
guidance for offices opening in the 112th Congress. Of the 16 Senators
who left office, 15 designated an archival repository. The archivist
provided extensive assistance to the staff of the late Senator Robert
C. Byrd to ensure the preservation of 1,500 cubic feet of records
documenting his entire Senate career. These records have been
transferred to the Robert C. Byrd Center for Legislative Studies at
Shepherd University. The archivist revised the Handbook for Closing a
Senator's Office and created an office closing timeline. The archiving
``Quick Cards'' available on the Secretary's Webster site were updated
and augmented by a fourth card on social media communications
archiving. The number of Senators who participated in Facebook, You
Tube, Twitter, and other Web 2.0 sites in the 111th Congress was
significant, and the Historical Office took the initiative to provide
guidance for archiving aspects of these online records.
A series of brown-bag lunch discussions took place for archivists
in Senate committees and Senators' personal staffs, focusing on records
management, storage and electronic records. A ``Coffee with the
Archivist'' of the United States also highlighted electronic records
preservation. Informal meetings of Capitol Hill Archivists and Records
Managers (CHARM) focused on description standards, electronic records,
bibliographic reports, and briefings at the Center for Legislative
Archives. A new initiative resulting from the CHARM meetings was the
series of staff exit interviews conducted by Senator Byron L. Dorgan's
archivist. These were edited by the Historical Office and then shared
with the rest of the Senate's archival community. A committee staff
interview form has been developed and is being adopted by committee
archivists and systems administrators, particularly because of the
context it provides to staff electronic files.
The Archivists' Listserv continues to be an effective means of
updating archival staff about records management and historical topics.
The Senate archivist worked with all of the repositories receiving
senatorial collections to ensure the adequacy of documentation and the
transfer of records with adequate finding aids, helping to lower costs
for the receiving repositories. The archivist presented an in-depth
records management seminar for Senate offices at the Modern Archives
Institute, which is now available for Senate staff on demand. The
archivist presented a paper on the significance and role of the
Advisory Committee on the Records of Congress at the Mid-Atlantic
Regional Archives Conference.
Committee Records Management and Disposition Assistance
The Senate archivist provided each Senate committee with staff
briefings, guidance on preservation of information in electronic
systems, and instructions for the transfer of permanently valuable
records to the National Archives' Center for Legislative Archives. A
survey of the committees' electronic archiving revealed that almost all
committees have voluminous electronic record backlogs requiring review.
The backlogs fall into three categories:
--files of committee staff that have departed the committee;
--files of share drives; and
--accumulated email.
There is a growing gap between the documentary quality of the
records being archived from committees that have archivists as opposed
to those without archivists. The archivist and deputy archivist have
been compiling specific reports documenting this discrepancy. They
distribute information on best practices for managing electronic
records and have encouraged committees to hire professional archivists
especially to focus on electronic archiving. There are now eight
committee archivists on six committees (two committees have separate
Democratic and Republican archivists.)
The archivist has been working with the Center for Legislative
Archives information technology specialists to improve Senate
infrastructure to facilitate the regular archiving of electronic
records. This will establish a system to allow the Senate to transfer
records in electronic form, eliminating the need for printing such
documentation. The infrastructure upgrade will also permit the Center
for Legislative Archives Holdings Management System to document the
loan of records back to the Senate more thoroughly through the use of
bar codes.
The archivist and deputy archivist are appointed members of the
Next Generation Finding Aid Task Force established by the Advisory
Committee on the Records of Congress to develop criteria to improve the
finding aids for the Senate's archival records. They provided
information and helped edit the first draft of the Report presented to
the Advisory Committee. They anticipate that the Task Force will
recommend adoption of the archivists toolkit as a system to manage
record transfers, and are prepared to mediate, oversee, and support
transfer documentation in this new application.
Over the past year, the Senate archivist oversaw the transfer to
the Archives of 568 accessions of Senate records totaling 1,638.5 cubic
feet of textual records and 627.28 gigabytes of electronic records. The
archivist and deputy archivists responded to 203 requests for loans of
archived records back to committees, totaling 1,028 boxes.
To further assist committee clerks, the archivists developed a new
archives transfer form that facilitates searches in older archived
records and brings Senate descriptive practices in line with archival
best practices. Enhanced description has resulted in greatly increased
accessibility of the records. Three basic archiving quick cards for
committees were posted to the Secretary's site and are periodically
updated. The cards supplement the Guidelines for Committee Staff
pamphlet and accompany a records-preservation PowerPoint briefing also
posted on the site. While this material has helped communicate the
importance of recordkeeping to committee staff, it does not replace the
effectiveness of a trained archivist on each committee staff.
A project is underway to scan committee record transfer sheets to
the National Archives, dating from 1982 through 2004, into the OnBase
document management system supported by the SAA. To date, records of 12
committees have been processed and updates are underway. The Center for
Legislative Archives has received this information on CD-ROM both as a
security measure and to enhance access to the records as they become
open for research
Advisory Committee on the Records of Congress
This 11-member permanent committee, established in 1990 by Public
Law 101-509, meets semiannually to advise the Senate, the House of
Representatives, and the Archivist of the United States on the
management and preservation of the records of the Congress. Its
membership representing the Senate includes the Secretary of the
Senate, who chaired the panel during the 110th Congress; the Senate
historian; and appointees of the secretary and the majority and
minority leaders. The Historical Office furnishes support services for
the advisory committee's regular meetings. Following the Senate
historian's participation in a meeting of the Public Interest
Declassification Board in July that focused on declassification of the
older records of the Congress, the Historical Office sent a request to
the Center to proceed with a systematic review of classified Senate
records more than 25 years old. As a result, the National
Declassification Center will begin a preliminary review and analysis of
declassification issues of the approximately 650 feet (1,625,000 pages)
of classified records that are more than 25 years old. Records of
highest anticipated research use will be given priority. The Historical
Office also was given the opportunity to comment on the National
Archives Reorganization Plan as it will affect Senate records,
encouraging the Archives to provide congressional records with
administrative support appropriate to the size of its holdings.
Educational Outreach
The Historical Office's correspondence with the general public has
increasingly taken place through Senate.gov. The historians maintain
and frequently update the Web site with timely reference and historical
information, and each month select related material to be featured on
the site. During the past year, the Office responded to more than 1,500
inquiries from the public, the news media, students, family
genealogists, congressional staffers, and academics, through the public
email address listed on Senate.gov. The diverse nature of their
questions reflected varying levels of interest in Senate operations,
institutional history, and former Members.
Working with the Web team, the historians have added to Senate.gov
such items as featured biographies, documentary histories, photo
exhibits, reference material, and additional oral history transcripts.
In preparation for the upcoming Civil War sesquicentennial, the
historians and staff have and continue to collaborate with the Web team
to create new online features exploring the role the U.S. Senate during
this national crisis, including an annotated time line of Senate-
related events, profiles of key Senators, landmark legislation of the
era, discussions of the constitutional crisis of secession, and a
documentary history of the Joint Committee on the Conduct of the War.
As the national commemoration of the war continues from 2011 to 2015,
these and additional features will be presented in a timely manner.
Staff presented seminars on the general history of the Senate,
Senate committees, female Senators, Senate Floor leadership, relations
between the press and the Senate, the U.S. Constitution, and the
history of Senate impeachment trials. The historians also participated
in Senate staff seminars and Members' office retreats, and conducted
dozens of briefings for specially scheduled groups. As part of the
orientation program for newly elected Senators, the historian delivered
an address on the historical evolution of the Senate, and joined the
associate historian in performing tours of the Senate Chamber and other
historic spaces of the Capitol. The historian also spoke at the
Senate's Constitution Day Program on the resources for researching
Senate history. The associate and assistant historian met with various
groups of teachers and students from around the Nation to aid in
coordinating classroom activities to promote a better understanding of
the Congress and its legislative duties, as well as working with
research fellows and visiting scholars.
Photographic Collections
The Senate photo historian continued to ensure history-focused
photographic coverage of the contemporary Senate by photographing
Senate committees, collecting formal photo portraits of new Senators,
and capturing significant Senate events in cooperation with the Senate
Photographic Studio. She continued to provide timely photographic
reference service by phone and email, while cataloging, digitizing,
relocating, and expanding the Office's 40,000-item image collection.
She assisted several Senate offices in creating collages of all the
Senators who previously served in that seat.
The photo historian assisted with the development of the Civil War
exhibit in the Capitol, by providing images from the Historical Office
collection and obtaining images from other repositories. She also
provided images for the two new exhibit cases in Dirksen Senate Office
Building outside of the auditorium. She collaborated with the
historical editor to design and publish the Kennedy Caucus Room
brochure.
The photo historian worked closely with the Senate Photographic
Studio during the transition to a new image browser, serving as a test
office for the new system. She facilitated the transfer of historical
maps found in the Russell Senate Office Building attic to the LOC
Geography and Maps Division.
As the founder of CHARM, an informal group of Senate archivists,
the photo historian planned numerous tours and professional development
events for committee and Member archivists.
COOP Planning
As the Historical Office's COOP Action Officer and Emergency
Coordinator, the photo historian continued to update the Office's COOP
plan in the Living Disaster Recovery Planning System. She made regular
back-ups of the office's vital electronic records to store off-site in
a secure environment. She trained new staff members and interns in the
Office's emergency evacuation procedures.
CVC
The historians supplied information and guidance to the staff of
the CVC related to the educational component of the exhibition gallery.
They have participated in the training program for staff-led tours, and
provided text, images, and general editorial review for a new Web-based
training program for staff and tour guides. They made regular
presentations on the history of the Senate in training seminars for
Senate staff and interns, and gave morning ``briefings'' to the Capitol
Guide Service. They provided ``exhibit talks'' in the CVC, contributed
to the training of visitor assistants who guide visitors through the
exhibition gallery, worked with exhibit staff to plan rotations of
documents and images, and advised the CVC staff on its educational
outreach programs.
human resources
The Office of Human Resources was established in June 1995 by the
Secretary as a result of the CAA. The office focuses on developing and
implementing human resources policies, procedures, and programs for the
Office of the Secretary of the Senate that fulfill the legal
requirements of the workplace and complement the organization's
strategic goals and values.
These responsibilities include recruiting and staffing; providing
guidance and advice to managers and staff; training; performance
management; job analysis; compensation planning, design, and
administration; leave administration; records management; maintaining
the employee handbooks and manuals; internal grievance procedures;
employee relations and services; and organizational planning and
development.
The Human Resources staff administers the following programs for
the Secretary's employees: the Public Transportation Subsidy program,
Student Loan Repayment Program, Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)
program, parking allocations, and the summer intern program that offers
college and other postgraduate students the opportunity to gain
valuable skills and experience in a variety of Senate support offices.
Human Resources staff has completed migration of eligible commuters to
the Smart Benefits Program, which is operated by the Washington
Metropolitan Area Transit Authority.
Recruitment and Retention of Staff
Human Resources staff have the ongoing task of advertising new
vacancies or positions, screening applicants, interviewing candidates,
and assisting with all phases of the hiring process. Human Resources
staff coordinate with the SAA Human Resources Department to post all
SAA and Secretary vacancies on the Senate Intranet, Webster, so that
the larger Senate community may access the posting from their own
offices. In an effort to reach a larger and more diverse applicant
pool, the department uses multiple posting forums to reach potential
applicants for employment. As a result, the Human Resources Department
processed more than 3,000 applications for vacancies in the Secretary's
Office, including review of applications, coordinating scheduling of
candidates for interview, sending out notices to both successful and
unsuccessful candidates, and finalizing new hire paperwork. All new
hires also receive orientation from the Human Resources staff when they
come on board.
Training
In conjunction with the Senate Chief Counsel for Employment, staff
continue to develop and deliver training for department heads and
staff. Training topics include sexual harassment, interviewing skills,
FMLA administration, and an overview of the CAA. Human Resources staff
also works with different department employees on topics specific to
their group in outreach efforts to enhance teamwork in the workplace.
Interns and Fellows
Human Resources staff manage the Secretary's internship program.
From posting vacancies, conducting needs analyses, communicating,
screening, placing and following up with all interns, the staff keeps a
close connection with these program participants in an effort to make
the internship most beneficial to them and the organization.
DOD's Operation Warfighter (OWF) Program
In December 2010, Human Resources on behalf of the Secretary
received approval to host Wounded Warriors from the OWF program. The
unpaid internship program is open to all wounded and ill servicemembers
assigned to a Military Treatment Facility, an Army Warrior Transition
Unit, the USMC Wounded Warrior Regiment, the Air Force Wounded Warrior
Program, or the Navy Safe Harbor Program. The program positively
impacts the recuperation process, and provides meaningful activity
outside of the hospital environment that positively impacts wellness.
Combined Federal Campaign (CFC)
The office has again taken an active role in the CFC for the Senate
community at-large. The office staff serve as co-directors of the
program. The staff participates in kick-off meetings, identifies key
workers in each office, and disseminates and collects necessary
information and paperwork.
information systems
The staff of the department of Information Systems provides
technical hardware and software support for the office of the Secretary
of the Senate (SecSen). Information Systems staff also interface
closely with the application and network development groups within the
SAA, GPO, and outside vendors on technical issues and joint projects.
The department provides computer-related support for all local area
network (LAN) servers within the Office of the Secretary of the Senate.
Information Systems staff provide direct application support for all
software installed workstations, initiate and guide new technologies,
and implement next-generation hardware and software solutions.
Mission Evaluation
The primary mission of the Information Systems department is to
continue to provide the highest level of customer satisfaction and
computer support for the office of Secretary of the Senate. Emphasis is
placed on creating and transferring legislative records to outside
departments and agencies, fulfilling Disbursing Office financial
responsibilities to the Member offices, and complying with office
mandated and statutory obligations.
Fiscal Year 2010 Technology Initiative Summary
The department technology initiatives concentrated in four specific
areas:
--Improvements in work flow process efficiency;
--Deployment of improved hardware and software technologies;
--Business continuity planning and disaster recovery improvements;
and
--Network perimeter and end point security awareness.
Operate More Efficiently
Replaced all computer workstation hardware in the Capitol; Hart,
Dirksen, and Russell Senate Office Buildings; and Webster Hall
locations. Developed, tested, and installed application software for
the Senate Library, Curator, Historian, Human Resources,
Interparliamentary Services, Public Records, Captioning, LIS Project
Office, and Page School staff locations.
Completed second phase of network printer hardware replacement
program by replacing all network printers in 21 departments and offsite
locations with improved high-speed models that reduce energy use up to
50 percent with instant-on technology.
Replaced all BlackBerry device hardware for Secretary of the Senate
staff (73 units) and applied soft token virtual private network access
to the Senate network for all device users.
Purchased and installed the Disbursing Office GRB server hardware.
Purchased and installed server and application to remotely deploy
software updates to all Disbursing workstation hardware.
Deployment of Improved Hardware and Software Upgrades
Legislative Offices.--Completed 18 major LIS software upgrades and
installed the updated LIS application software in all legislative clerk
offices, ACFs, and offsite home laptop locations. Virtualized the LIS
applications for the Senate Library staff which streamlined the
availability of application for LIS users.
Added network array storage portable servers at the ACF. This
solution provides a nightly scheduled backup of Secretary of the Senate
workstation software to the Secretary of the Senate Emergency
Operations Centers (EOC).
Virtualized the workflow process in the Office of Public Records
(OPR) providing high availability to their computer desktops for OPR
staff when they are not at their normal desktop office locations.
Retired a dedicated AT&T fiber link between the OPR and the Federal
Elections Commission (FEC). Worked with the SAA Network Engineering
staff to implement a replacement VLAN connection to the FEC which is
more secure and can be expanded to alternate locations if needed.
Upgraded legislative staff with improved laptop hardware for a more
streamlined and secure connection to the Senate network.
Created a virtualized and encrypted software solution for the
Senate Enrolling Clerk in order to process legislation when located
offsite. Virtualization of mission critical workstation applications
lowers the support time and cost required to keep offsite laptops
updated with current software revisions. It also provides a more
efficient process to migrate existing applications to numerous systems,
making it available to a wider range of key personnel who require the
application access.
Upgraded and migrated BlackBerry device users to the BlackBerry
Exchange Server Version 5.0 Server solution. Information System support
staff now has a process to monitor the BlackBerry device operation and
provide a higher level of remote BlackBerry support.
Added additional staff with secure access to the Senate network
through the Senate Web portal with Passface account access. Presently
119 of 169 personnel assigned to the Secretary of the Senate's hybrid
enterprise (70 percent) have some form of secure remote access to
Senate network resources.
Developed a standardized software template and replaced all
Disbursing Office laptops.
Worked with the Senate library staff and the SAA Technology
Development staff to integrate an incident reporting software
application for Library staff use. This issue tracker application
resides on a Secretary of the Senate server and documents the support
issues for the SIS program.
Business Continuity Planning and Disaster Recovery Improvements
Secure remote access to essential applications and information is
integral to pandemic preparedness and business continuity initiatives.
By scaling existing technologies, and integrating new hardware
solutions, the overall level of H1N1 planning preparedness was
dramatically elevated in the each office. This level of proactive
planning significantly impacted the remote access capability and
provided staff the needed access to the Senate network resources during
the February 2010 blizzard.
In the event GPO ``fails-over'' their operation at North Capitol
Street, NW., changes to the legislative file transfer process to
support transactions between the Secretary's office and GPO have been
implemented. A secondary back-up (encrypted) file transfer method has
also been implemented among GPO, the Senate Office of Legislative
Counsel, and the office of the Secretary.
Completed the Parliamentarian office indexing software project and
migrated the previous process to a new hardware platform. The results
allow a virtualized environment to index precedent information without
purchasing a specific laptop or personal computer.
Installed additional laptop hardware for the office of Captioning
Services in the Capitol. This ensures that if Captioning staff is
displaced from their location they can continue to provide content to
the Senate Recording Studio (SRS). Successfully tested final SRS
channel link in October 2010.
Redesigned and enhanced the operation of Member accountability
application used during COOP exercises by implementing a virtualized
desktop process to run the application. Integrating this application
with a remote desktop feature to ensure the application is always
available for staff during a COOP event. Extended this virtual solution
for the Secretary of the Majority and the Secretary of the Minority
offices.
Virtualized the OPR hardware server, office workstations, and
scanning operation. In fiscal year 2010, completed the second phase to
encompass both the server and client application process.
Implemented and integrated personal computer teleconferencing
application into the existing video teleconferencing (VTC) network.
This provides offsite VTC to internal Senate users without the need for
a VPN connection. Upgraded hardware products in the Office of the
Secretary and Disbursing Office conference room locations.
Network Perimeter and End Point Security Awareness
In partnership the SAA Security Operations Center, installed the
next generation Senate antivirus and firewall protection.
Information Systems staff continue to monitor email spam filtering
applications. Present rate of undesirable email messages average 9,000
messages per day.
Implemented a monthly automatic backup of critical workstation
software applications. This process eliminates countless hours of
attempting to clean infected systems. Additionally, these monthly
backups can be stored at an offsite facility and serve as a tool in
restoring workstation applications in the event of an emergency.
Information Systems staff continue to monitor network security
ensuring best practice information is available to all staff. Developed
global security server policies to automatically lock computer
terminals after 1 hour of application inactivity.
Staff continues to manage the Alerts notification database for all
Secretary staff. Database information is verified nightly to ensure
email, voice, and BlackBerry PIN information is valid and will function
during an emergency.
After implementation of the software deployment server, Information
Systems staff continue to maintain the inventory of all applications
for 280 workstation installations. Information Systems now has the
ability to review in real time which systems require application
updates and can deploy security patches without interruption to the
business owner.
Ongoing and Future Projects From 2010
As server and laptop hardware nears the end of the maintenance
life-cycle, replace older hardware servers with virtual server
solutions. All Active Directory server hardware was updated in fiscal
year 2010, and wherever possible virtual solutions were implemented in
order to provide a higher level of network resource availability,
reduce data center hardware costs, and reduce electricity usage.
Evaluate low-cost computing terminal emulation hardware for offsite
and designated COOP locations.
interparliamentary services
The Office of Interparliamentary Services (IPS) is responsible for
administrative, financial, and protocol functions for all
interparliamentary conferences in which the Senate participates by
statute, for interparliamentary conferences in which the Senate
participates on an ad hoc basis, and for special delegations authorized
by the Majority and/or Minority Leaders. The office also provides
appropriate assistance as requested by other Senate delegations.
The statutory interparliamentary conferences are:
--NATO Parliamentary Assembly;
--Mexico-United States Interparliamentary Group;
--Canada-United States Interparliamentary Group;
--British-American Interparliamentary Group;
--United States-Russia Interparliamentary Group;
--United States-China Interparliamentary Group; and
--United States-Japan Interparliamentary Group;
In 2010, IPS staff were responsible for organizing the following
interparliamentary conferences:
--the U.S.-China Interparliamentary Group in China;
--the U.S.-Russia Interparliamentary Group in the United States;
--the Canada-U.S. Interparliamentary Group in the United States; and
--the Mexico-U.S. Interparliamentary Group in Mexico.
As in previous years, all foreign travel authorized by the Majority
and Minority Leaders is arranged by the IPS staff. In addition to
delegation trips, IPS provided assistance to individual Senators and
staff traveling overseas. Senators and staff authorized by committees
for foreign travel continue to call upon this office for assistance
with passports, visas, travel arrangements, and reporting requirements.
IPS receives and prepares for printing the quarterly consolidated
financial reports for foreign travel from all committees in the Senate.
In addition to preparing the quarterly reports for the Majority Leader
and the Minority Leader, IPS staff also assist staff members of
Senators and committees in filling out the required reports.
IPS maintains regular contact with DOD, the Department of State and
foreign Embassy officials. The office staff organizes visits for
official foreign visitors and assists them in setting up meetings with
leadership offices. The staff continues to work closely with other
offices of the Secretary of the Senate and the SAA in arranging
programs for foreign visitors. In addition, IPS is consulted by
individual Senate offices on a broad range of protocol questions.
Occasional questions come from State officials or the general public
regarding congressional protocol.
On behalf of the Senate Majority and Minority Leaders, IPS staff
arrange official receptions for heads of state, heads of government,
heads of parliaments, and parliamentary delegations. Required records
of expenditures on behalf of foreign dignitaries under authority of
Public Law 100-71 are maintained by IPS.
Planning is underway for the Mexico-U.S. Interparliamentary Group,
the U.S.-China Interparliamentary Group, and the British-American
Parliamentary Group which will be held in the United States in 2011.
COOP Planning
IPS regularly reviews its COOP plan with ongoing discussions,
updating materials kept offsite, evaluating evacuation procedures, and
working from remote sites.
lis project
The LIS is a mandated system (section 8 of the 1997 Legislative
Branch Appropriations Act, 2 U.S.C. 123e) that provides desktop access
to the content and status of legislative information and supporting
documents. The 1997 Legislative Branch Appropriations Act (2 U.S.C.
181) also established a program for providing the widest possible
exchange of information among legislative branch agencies. The long-
range goal of the LIS Project is to provide a ``comprehensive Senate
Legislative Information System'' to capture, store, manage, and
distribute Senate documents. Several components of the LIS have been
implemented, and the project is currently focused on a Senate-wide
implementation and transition to a standard system for the authoring
and exchange of legislative documents that will greatly enhance the
availability and re-use of legislative documents within the Senate and
with other legislative branch agencies. The LIS Project Office manages
the project.
Background: LIS Augmentation Project (LISAP)
An April 1997 joint Senate and House report recommended
establishment of a data standards program, and in December 2000, the
Senate Committee on Rules and Administration and the Committee on House
Administration jointly accepted the Extensible Markup Language (XML) as
the primary data standard to be used for the exchange of legislative
documents and information. Following the implementation of the LIS in
January 2000, the LIS Project Office shifted its focus to the data
standards program and established LISAP. The overarching goal of the
LISAP is to provide a Senate-wide implementation and transition to XML
for the authoring and exchange of legislative documents.
The current focus for the LISAP is the continued development and
implementation of the XML authoring system for legislative documents
produced by the Office of the Senate Legislative Counsel (SLC), the
Office of the Enrolling Clerk, the Committee on Appropriations, and the
GPO. The XML authoring application is called LEXA, an acronym for
Legislative Editing in XML Application. LEXA replaces the DOS-based
XyWrite software used by drafters to embed locator codes into
legislative documents for printing. The XML tags inserted by LEXA
provide more information about the document and can be used for
printing, searching, and displaying a document. LEXA features many
automated functions that provide a more efficient and consistent
document authoring process. The LIS Project Office has worked very
closely with the SLC, the Enrolling Clerk, and the editorial and
printing staff of the Committee on Appropriations to create an
application that meets the needs for legislative drafting.
LISAP: 2010
The LIS Project Office continued to provide support to the SLC, the
Senate Committee on Appropriations, and the Senate Enrolling Clerk in
their use of LEXA for drafting, engrossing, and enrolling. GPO also
uses LEXA to complete measures for printing. Several new features and
fixes were added in LEXA releases to make the drafting process faster,
more efficient, and more consistent. The LIS staff trained new drafters
and interns in the use of LEXA.
Changes to LEXA included upgrading all users to Xmetal 5.5. Xmetal
is the underlying software for LEXA, and the 5.5 version is Vista-
compatible. In the latter half of 2010, the LIS Project Office began a
project to update the underlying software, Xmetal, to version 6.0 which
is Windows 7-compatible. The upgrade projects required extensive
testing of LEXA on multiple operating systems including XP, Vista, and
Windows 7. LEXA improvements included updates to the conversion from
locator to XML and additional features for the office drafting
appropriations bills to accommodate the different styles and formats of
those bills. A new feature was added to create title amendments as
separate documents, and new functionality was created to combine a list
of titles or divisions into one document and to split a single document
into multiple titles or divisions.
COOP Planning
Several procedures have been implemented to provide for COOP. All
source code and data files are backed up nightly to a drive in the
office, and each LIS Project Office staff member carries an encrypted
flash drive containing the office COOP plan, documentation, and the
most recent version of LEXA. All the software and documentation
required to create the development environment and a LEXA end user
environment are available in duplicate copies of the LIS Project Office
fly-away kit. The COOP plan and the fly-away kits are updated
frequently, and one fly-away kit is kept in an off-site location.
Regular testing of the ability to work remotely is conducted via Senate
laptops and personal computers to ensure that application development
and user support can continue if access to the office is not possible.
LISAP: 2011
The LIS Project Office will continue to work with and support all
the offices now using LEXA to produce legislative documents.
Enhancements to LEXA make the process more efficient and consistent so
that most of the legislative measures produced by those offices will be
created as XML documents. All LEXA users will be upgraded to Xmetal
6.0: some users on XP, some on Windows 7, and a few on Vista.
The LIS Project Office will continue to work with the House, GPO,
and the LOC on projects and issues that impact the legislative process
and data standards for exchange. These groups are currently
participating in two projects with the GPO, one to define requirements
for replacing the Microcomp composition software and another to handle
graphics in some legislative documents. The office will work with the
SLC and their House counterpart office to implement new functionality
for maintaining and printing the compilations of existing law in XML.
library
The Senate Library provides legislative, legal, business, and
general information services to the United States Senate. The LOC's
collection encompasses legislative documents that date from the
Continental Congress in 1774; current and historic executive and
judicial branch materials; an extensive book collection on American
politics, history, and biography; a popular collection of audiobooks;
and a wide array of online resources. The LOC also authors content for
three Web sites:
--LIS.gov;
--Senate.gov; and
--Webster, the Senate's Intranet.
The transition of the SIS program from the Senate SAA to the Senate
Library continued with the transfer of contracts for news-related
services in October 2010. Two town hall style meetings and six focus
group sessions provided opportunities for Senate staff to provide
direct feedback on the Senate's online research tools. The Library
hosted an online survey in December to reach State staff and those
unable to attend the focus group sessions. Results from the survey will
be used to review program offerings and to target outreach and training
efforts related to those resources.
The LOC's creation of new Web-based content, judicious selection
and investment in online resources, expanded outreach and training
opportunities, and use of technology to support alternative means for
information delivery continues to meet the Senate's increasing demand
for information.
Notable Achievements
Successful outreach efforts contributed to an increase in Library
usage in the following areas over the past year: total patron accounts
are up 44 percent, new patron accounts are up 26 percent, and online
book requests are up 36 percent. Loans of audiobooks increased 22
percent and new books by 15 percent.
A new Webster page, Nomination Hearings for Supreme Court Justices,
provides links to full-text hearings since Louis Brandeis in 1916.
The Library catalog now provides Senate staff with desktop access
to more than 34,000 electronic versions of items in its collection, an
increase of 15 percent more than 2009.
A new table, Senate Freshmen since Direct Election (1914), was
added to Senate.gov.
Two well-received exhibits, one on the ``Senatorial Life of Everett
Dirksen'' and the other on the ``Dirksen Senate Office Building'', were
installed at the request of the Senate Committee on Rules and
Administration in the cases flanking the entrance to the Dirksen
auditorium (SDG-50). The exhibits were collaborative efforts with the
Senate Curator's Office and the Senate Historical Office.
Successful collaboration between the Library, the Office of Web
Technology, and the Assistant SAA/CIO Office resulted in the creation
of a completely new taxonomy for the Senate Services Directory (Red
Book) on Webster. Online access to the Red Book will occur in early
January 2011.
Senate Library Inquiries, Online Book Requests, and Patron Accounts
The increase in requests for online materials, the availability of
new and enhanced database offerings, and the expanded availability of
resources on the Web have dramatically increased the demand for Library
resources. Inquiries in 2010 increased 12 percent more than 2009,
reflecting new Web-based service promotional initiatives. These numbers
show that Senate staff and others are using Senate.gov and Webster
content authored by the library. Reference librarians continue to
assist Senate staff with challenging research in areas including legal
and public records, legislative histories, news and journal articles,
and to find answers to questions they ``can't figure out how to
tackle.'' \2\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Comment by a survey respondent in the 2011 SIS Online Survey
Report, p. 34.
SENATE LIBRARY INQUIRIES
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Web page visits Change from
Year Traditional ------------------------------------------------ Total prior year
Webster LIS Senate.gov (percentage)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2010.................................................... 26,696 88,886 19,000 2,926,712 3,061,294 +12
2009.................................................... 27,318 70,461 21,092 2,612,897 2,731,768 +8
2008.................................................... 27,283 51,048 29,468 2,429,380 2,537,179 +67
2007.................................................... 26,309 65,793 32,121 1,392,947 1,517,170 -10
2006.................................................... 31,032 80,375 20,156 1,561,138 1,692,701 +88
2005.................................................... 33,080 57,608 26,775 782,588 900,051 ( \1\ )
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Baseline.
The Library received 666 online book requests in 2010, an increase
of 36 percent more than the previous year. The increase can be
attributed to the online book request form on the Library catalog, as
well as to the online bibliographies that highlight the Library's
collections of audiobooks, travel books, and new books. Audiobook loans
increased by 22 percent, travel books by 25 percent, and new books by
15 percent more than 2009 levels.
The Library's concerted effort in 2010 to reach new patrons
resulted in a 44 percent increase in borrowing accounts more than 2009.
Seventy-four percent of the Library's patrons are Senate office and
committee staff members while the remaining 26 percent of users are
support office staff.
Almost half of this patron base consists of new users of the
library. A total of 999 new patrons were registered in 2010, an
increase of 26 percent more than the number registered in 2009.
Other activities for 2010 included setting up 274 new computer
accounts for our patron workstations, and providing the following
document printing and delivery services:
INFORMATION SERVICE SUPPORT ACTIVITIES
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Category Total
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Circulation:
Document deliveries................................. 4,499
Item loans.......................................... 3,251
Pages printed:
Microform pages printed............................. 857
Photocopies......................................... 71,983
---------------
Document delivery total........................... 80,590
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Senate Library Content Creation
Senate.gov Web Site Content
A new table, Senate Freshmen Since Direct Election (1914), was
added to Senate.gov. This table counts Senate freshmen at the beginning
of each Congress and includes appointments that occurred just before or
after the opening of the Congress.
Senate Webster Content
A new page, Nomination Hearings for Supreme Court Justices, was
launched in June in advance of scheduled confirmation hearings for
Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan. The page provides links to full-text
hearings since Louis Brandeis in 1916. This page is tied to another
Library-authored page, How to Find Supreme Court Nomination
Information. The full-text hearings were also made available through
the Library catalog, and Library staff created two new finding aids for
JSTOR, a nonprofit service of more than 1,000 academic journals and
other scholarly content, and appellate court briefs.
SIS Program Content
The Library's Digital and Instructional Resources Librarian led two
working groups to create two new Webster pages that highlight SIS
resources. The first group worked on a FrontPage (the SIS home page)
redesign that includes tabbed navigation and links to more Senate-wide
databases. The other group researched the online availability of
newspapers in each State, which make up the State NewsWatch page. Both
pages were created in response to feedback from Senate focus groups and
launched at the beginning of the 112th Congress.
Senate Library Web Site Content
A library team revised and updated the About the Library, Using the
library, and Borrowing Books pages on the library's Web site. These
pages now provide staff a clearer understanding of the library
services, policies, and collections.
Other Digital Content
Library staff initiated a retrospective digitization of the Senate
Executive Calendars in response to staff requests for older editions of
the calendar. This collaborative project between the library and the
Senate Executive Clerk will build a complete digital collection from
the library's bound editions and form the basis for a future online
digital archive.
Senate Knowledge Base
The Senate knowledge base is an institutional repository of data to
support the Webster site taxonomy project and Webster search
enhancement. To date, 1,154 document records and 2,016 term records in
the Senate knowledge base are supporting the Webster taxonomy and
search projects. The 45 percent increase in the number of terms and 19
percent increase in the number of documents created this year is a
result of a restructuring of the database to support the online Senate
Services Directory (Red Book) and reporting for ``keymatches''.
Webster Online Services Directory (Red Book) Redesign
The online Services Directory is a joint effort between the SAA's
Assistant Sergeant at Arms/Chief Information Office and the Library.
The Red Book was a printed directory (last published in November 2010)
created by the Senate telephone operators as a finding aid for commonly
requested numbers and services. The online Senate Services Directory is
driven by a completely new taxonomy that is managed through the Senate
knowledge base.
Webster Search Enhancement
Librarians improve Webster search results by analyzing popular
search terms and matching them with topically relevant pages or search
engine ``keymatches'' (which are managed through the Senate knowledge
base). This improves the chances a searcher will find what he or she is
looking for on Webster. During 2010, 245 ``keymatches'' were
established and 240 edits were made to update Web page links.
Instruction and Outreach Programs
Reference librarians conduct a wide variety of classes and tours
for Senate staff including, Insider's Guide to Webster, LIS Savvy,
Research Tools on Your Desktop, Services of the Senate Library, and Got
Questions? In 2010, 91 classes and tours were offered, with a total of
379 Senate staff participating. Classes and tours are held frequently
to allow librarians to interact with smaller groups and create a more
customized learning experience for the attendees.
LOC, Office of Web Technology, and the Joint Office of Education
and Training collaborated on redesigning the LOC class registration
page. The redesign offers a more streamlined registration process, has
reduced posting errors, and has increased the opportunities for the
reference team to market classes to Senate staff.
LOC gave numerous tours to Senate groups and outside library
professionals, including each semester's Senate Page School class,
librarians from the Supreme Court Library and the National Defense
University, library school students, and 18 separate groups of summer
interns from Senate offices. The LOC hosted a university library school
student on a semester-long practicum. The LOC also participated in the
Senate Services Fair, reaching out to 91 attendees.
In an effort reach Senate staff more directly, an email signatures
pilot program was launched to highlight library services, resources,
training opportunities, and the SIS online survey. The email signatures
link to a featured resource and change monthly to coordinate with the
Library's overall promotional program. Other promotional efforts
include several Webster announcements and flyers with monthly LOC and
SIS vendor training course offerings.
Two new reading lists were created to highlight books in the LOC's
collection: The Civil War in Books and Great Reads for New Senate
Staff. Both bibliographies are available on Webster and are highlighted
with display cases and Web promotional announcements. The Civil War in
Books is the LOC's contribution to the commemoration of the
sesquicentennial of the start of the Civil War, and the Great Reads
list is designed to reach new Senate staff who want to broaden their
knowledge of Senate history and their understanding of legislative
process and procedure.
Collection Development
Audiobooks
The Library acquired 35 new audio book titles in 2010, bringing the
total number to 125 titles. Designed to assist users with diverse
needs, including those who may be visually challenged, the program
remains popular with patrons whose 797 loans were equivalent to
circulating each item in the collection six times over. An online
bibliography on Webster contains links to the catalog and the online
book request form.
New Digital Resources
The LOC worked with LexisNexis and Westlaw to remove the login
prompt and provide direct Senate-wide access to title-level database
search pages through its Serials Solutions A-Z electronic journals list
on Webster. A tangible result of these efforts to improve utility saw
overall searches increase 19 percent to 5,524 and a 60 percent increase
in the use of all online resources indexed over the same period last
year. Content was updated to include 43 new databases that result from
changes in vendor offerings.
In 2010, the library began offering Senate-wide access to these e-
books, all published by Congressional Quarterly:
--Guide to Congress;
--Guide to the Presidency;
--Guide to U.S. Elections;
--Landmark Legislation, 1774-2002; and
--Major Acts of Congress.
The Library began offering Senate-wide access to a legislative
histories database on the LexisNexis congressional platform. The
legislative histories database provides information on all hearings and
reports associated with a law and provides direct links to the full
text of these congressional documents.
Library reference services were enhanced through the acquisition of
Federal News Service transcripts and JSTOR archival journal content.
These resources expand the range of questions that reference librarians
can answer.
Government Documents
As a participant in GPO's Federal Depository Library Program, the
Library receives selected categories of legislative, executive, and
judicial branch publications. The library received 10,078 government
publications in 2010. In response to the trend of issuing government
documents in electronic format, 5,505 links were added to the library
catalog, bringing the total number to 34,443, an increase of 15 percent
more than last year. The links provide Senate staff desktop access to
the full text of each document.
ACQUISITIONS, 2010
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Category Total
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Congressional documents................................. 7,790
Executive and judicial branch publications.............. 2,288
Books (including audiobooks and e-books)................ 761
Electronic links........................................ 5,505
---------------
Total acquisitions................................ 16,344
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Legislative Validation
The Library's Legislative Validation Clerk verifies and edits the
accuracy and consistency of data and legislative information published
by Secretary of the Senate staff in the LIS, the DMS, the Congressional
Record, Senate.gov, and Webster. The clerk's work also requires the
verification of selected Congressional Record Index entries (print and
electronic) and includes comparing electronic entries made by
legislative staff or data entry clerks from various agencies with the
printed Congressional Record Index and notifying the offices of
discrepancies.
Between January and December 2010, the Legislative Validation Clerk
submitted 248 corrections out of hundreds of thousands of verified
legislative actions that took place during the year.
LEGISLATIVE VALIDATION CLERK CORRECTIONS, 2010
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Office Submitted
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bill, Enrolling, Executive, Journal, and Legislative 88
Clerks.................................................
Reporters of Debates, Morning Business Editor, and Daily 109
Digest.................................................
GPO and LOC--LIS........................................ 51
---------------
Total, corrections................................ 248
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cataloging
The Library's cataloging staff produces and maintains a catalog of
more than 213,000 bibliographic items. During 2010, they added 3,736
new titles to the catalog and performed 23,839 record maintenance and
enhancement activities. New materials are in large part made up of
congressional materials that are cataloged and made available to staff
and patrons the same day. The 45 percent decrease in new titles
cataloged from the previous year can be attributed to a decrease in the
number of retrospective materials cataloged and an increased attention
to catalog maintenance and enhancement activities, such as correcting
subjects and names that have become obsolete and retrospectively adding
full-text content and book jacket images to existing records.
Catalogers' time and skills at categorizing and describing content
are increasingly in demand for taxonomy-related projects designed to
enhance Webster, including creating the records that drive
functionality in the new online Red Book Senate Services Directory and
analyzing logs of unsuccessful searches to create ``keymatches'' that
target Webster search results.
Cataloging staff participated in a nationwide project, coordinated
by the LOC, to create a set of test records for evaluating new
cataloging rules, called Resource Description and Access (RDA), that
are slated for possible implementation in 2011. After receiving in-
house training, catalogers contributed 39 RDA test records.
Catalogers created 553 bibliographic records for Senate hearings
not yet printed from information in the Congressional Record Daily
Digest and the combined hearings schedule on Webster. This includes
field hearings that are not listed in the Daily Digest. These records
provide preliminary access for Senate staff and remain in the catalog
until the printed hearing is received and cataloged.
The catalog is updated nightly to ensure that Senate staff will
retrieve accurate and current information on Library holdings. The
addition of 538 book jacket images in 2010, an increase of 79 percent,
enhanced the catalog's visual appeal.
Library Automation
The Library worked with the Information Systems Office to develop
and deploy a new updated workstation template for the Library. For the
first time, the new workstations made use of virtual access to
frequently updated applications, eliminating conflicts between
applications, reducing required workstation maintenance, and minimizing
staff disruption.
A server-level upgrade of the integrated library system software
used to maintain our online catalog was completed, and a new Web-based
interface for generating reports from the system was implemented. The
new system takes advantage of enhancements in the catalog database and
offers new reporting formats.
A new virtual server was implemented to house the Senate knowledge
base. The database software was installed in December in preparation
for the migration of the database. The virtual server provides
enterprise-level data backup and replaces obsolete hardware. The
Information Systems Office provides maintenance support for the virtual
server and remote management tools for use by Library staff.
The Library and the Information Systems Office worked with SAA
staff to configure and test an off-the-shelf application to log, track,
and route incoming SIS support requests. New processes and procedures
were also established to monitor email and telephone requests and
establish data entry and statistical requirements.
Preservation, Binding, and Collection Maintenance
Technical Services staff continued to participate in book repair
training sessions led by the Director of the Office of Conservation and
Preservation. Trainees repaired 330 volumes, an increase of 74 percent
from 2009, making significant progress in the preservation of the
library's bound book collection.
The library continues to preserve and protect rare and fragile
print materials in its collections using commercial binding services
procured through GPO. In 2010, a total of 456 volumes were sent out for
binding, and 378 volumes were completed, with excellent results.
Budget
Budget negotiations with database vendors resulted in flat or
reduced pricing for online research services and subscriptions. Budget
savings from price reductions in 2010 online research services and
subscriptions totaled $38,077 over the next 3 years. After 13 years of
budget monitoring, savings total $149,013. This continual review of
purchases eliminates materials not meeting the Senate's current
information needs. This oversight is also critical in offsetting cost
increases for core materials and for acquiring new materials.
Special Projects
Unum, Newsletter of the Office of the Secretary of the
Senate
Unum, the Secretary's quarterly newsletter, has been produced by
Senate Library staff since October 1997 and is distributed throughout
the Senate and to former staff and Senators. It serves as an historical
record of accomplishments, events, and personnel news in the Office of
the Secretary of the Senate. Highlights from the 2010 Unum issues
include articles written by department interns on the history of the
August recess, the State of the Union dinner hosted by the Secretary of
the Senate; a feature on the slave labor plaque installed in the
Capitol; a piece on the Curator's ``Rumors'' Web site; two articles
about archiving Senate records by Senate Archivist Karen Paul; a
feature about the 150th anniversary of the Civil War from a
congressional viewpoint; and the continuation of the ``Senate Voices''
series prepared by the Historical Office that contains excerpts of oral
histories of former staffers.
National Library Week
David O. Stewart, author of Impeached. The Trial of President
Andrew Johnson and the Fight for Lincoln's Legacy, was the featured
speaker at the Library's 12th annual book talk in honor of National
Library Week.
Display Cases
Two well-received displays, one on the ``Senatorial Life of Everett
Dirksen'' and the other on the ``Dirksen Senate Office Building'', were
installed at the request of the Senate Rules Committee in the cases
flanking the entrance to the Dirksen auditorium (SDG-50) in
collaboration with the Senate Curator's Office and the Senate
Historical Office. Hallway display cases outside the LOC continue to
educate staff and visitors alike while highlighting the LOC's
collections. Display cases featured this year include:
--Civil War Capitol;
--Civil War in Books;
--Kids Books on Political Pets;
--Great Reads for New Staff; and
--History Lives at Your Library, a display highlighting African-
American contributions to government, aviation, and medicine.
The Great Reads for New Staff reading list has proved especially
popular with staff and circulation of the books on the list
skyrocketed. The Civil War in Books and the Civil War Capitol display
are part of the LOC's commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the
start of the Civil War.
Cooperative Projects
Hearing URL data from the Library catalog is exported weekly to
provide LIS and THOMAS with full-text links to Senate hearings. The
library contributed 1,051 new Senate hearing links to the LIS database
during 2010, a 50 percent increase more than 2009.
The Library's Cataloging Supervisor completed work with Joint
Committee on Taxation staff on a project to supply bibliographic
records for a set of committee documents submitted for scanning at the
Federal Scanning Center at LOC. The Committee provided the LOC with
printed versions of any documents in the set not already in our
collection. In 2010, a total of 412 new titles were added to the LOC's
catalog as a result of this project.
Major Library Goals for 2011
Complete procurement of Senate-wide online research services for
fiscal year 2012.
Create a team to evaluate Library course offerings and explore
opportunities to contribute to the Office of Education and Training's
task-based curriculum tracks. Provide a unified presentation of Library
and SIS vendor-sponsored training on FrontPage.
Complete transition of the Red Book Services Directory from pilot
project to production service. Continue to develop new entries for the
alphabetical organization display.
Create an outreach committee to coordinate content, methods, and
dissemination of targeted service and promotional offerings to reach
new Senate offices and State staff.
Task a working group with review and enhancement of SIS custom user
interface for LexisNexis.
Continue to work with SIS program vendors to make additional news-
related content available through Senate NewsWatch and the InfoViewer
product.
Provide cataloging staff training in preparation for the possible
implementation of new cataloging rules, called Resource Description and
Access (RDA), by LOC and other libraries worldwide.
SENATE LIBRARY ACQUISITIONS FOR CALENDAR YEAR 2010
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Books Government documents Congressional publications
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reports/ Total
Ordered Received Paper Fiche Hearings Prints Bylaws Docs
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
January.............................................. 22 61 120 21 307 10 113 157 789
February............................................. 7 30 109 64 219 9 77 123 631
March................................................ 33 67 145 126 455 22 165 361 1,341
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1st Quarter.................................... 62 158 374 211 981 41 355 641 2,761
==================================================================================================
April................................................ 25 73 152 70 334 16 94 120 859
May.................................................. 26 62 35 90 255 17 155 277 891
June................................................. 20 105 171 129 263 8 105 167 948
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2nd Quarter.................................... 71 240 358 289 852 41 354 564 2,698
==================================================================================================
July................................................. 23 73 97 32 343 12 113 249 919
August............................................... 16 42 237 7 304 10 70 403 1,073
September............................................ 82 52 174 60 184 4 76 205 755
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3rd Quarter.................................... 121 167 508 99 831 26 259 857 2,747
==================================================================================================
October.............................................. 22 102 85 42 334 3 54 372 992
November............................................. 15 63 39 15 357 11 96 100 681
December............................................. 8 31 225 43 364 13 92 192 960
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4th Quarter.................................... 45 196 349 100 1,055 27 242 664 2,633
==================================================================================================
2010 Total........................................... 299 761 1,589 699 3,719 135 1,210 2,726 10,839
==================================================================================================
2009 Total........................................... 314 831 1,653 464 3,660 204 1,162 2,540 10,514
==================================================================================================
Percentage change.................................... -4.78 -8.42 -3.87 +50.65 +1.61 -33.82 +4.13 +7.32 +3.09
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SENATE LIBRARY CATALOGING STATISTICS FOR CALENDAR YEAR 2010
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bibliographic records cataloged
S. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hearing Books Government documents Congressional publications Total
numbers ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- records
added to Docs./ cataloged
LIS Paper Audio/ E- Paper Fiche Electronic Hearings Prints Pubs./
Books Reports
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
January.................................. 36 26 4 3 ......... 17 222 26 67 365
February................................. 25 13 ......... ......... ......... 16 131 17 57 234
March.................................... 28 17 1 3 ......... 9 243 7 131 411
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1st Quarter........................ 89 56 5 6 ......... 42 596 50 255 1,010
==============================================================================================================
April.................................... 34 29 7 8 ......... 8 75 ......... 62 189
May...................................... 17 24 ......... 10 ......... 10 127 8 206 385
June..................................... 73 22 1 4 ......... 7 116 6 104 260
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2nd Quarter........................ 124 75 8 22 ......... 25 318 14 372 834
==============================================================================================================
July..................................... 9 20 3 ......... ......... 13 200 4 97 337
August................................... 17 18 2 2 ......... 8 166 1 90 287
September................................ 8 29 8 3 ......... 8 73 4 43 168
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3rd Quarter........................ 34 67 13 5 ......... 29 439 9 230 792
==============================================================================================================
October.................................. 27 42 14 8 2 2 76 27 163 334
November................................. 21 73 5 10 5 18 104 70 57 342
December................................. 17 25 1 7 ......... 6 263 64 58 424
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4th Quarter........................ 65 140 20 25 7 26 443 161 278 1,100
==============================================================================================================
2010 Total............................... 312 338 46 58 7 122 1,796 234 1,135 3,736
==============================================================================================================
2009 Total............................... 331 677 155 107 317 153 3,876 1,185 321 6,791
==============================================================================================================
Percentage change........................ -5.74 -50.07 -70.32 -45.79 -97.79 -20.26 -53.66 -80.25 +253.58 -44.99
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SENATE LIBRARY DOCUMENT DELIVERY FOR CALENDAR YEAR 2009
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Micrographics Photocopiers
Volumes Materials Facsimiles center pages pages
loaned delivered printed printed
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
January........................................ 376 322 17 50 4,361
February....................................... 202 286 16 83 4,154
March.......................................... 360 390 11 99 4,417
----------------------------------------------------------------
1st quarter.............................. 938 998 44 232 12,932
================================================================
April.......................................... 282 420 12 100 9,032
May............................................ 252 318 14 49 5,495
June........................................... 248 326 11 91 9,294
----------------------------------------------------------------
2nd quarter.............................. 782 1,064 37 240 23,821
================================================================
July........................................... 285 382 16 60 11,443
August......................................... 220 374 13 109 3,867
September...................................... 255 377 27 20 4,753
----------------------------------------------------------------
3rd quarter.............................. 760 1,133 56 189 20,063
================================================================
October........................................ 212 362 34 8 4,942
November....................................... 306 395 41 108 4,860
December....................................... 253 397 11 80 5,365
----------------------------------------------------------------
4th quarter.............................. 771 1,154 86 196 15,167
================================================================
2010 Total..................................... 3,251 4,349 223 857 71,983
================================================================
2009 Total..................................... 3,118 4,159 212 1,378 71,756
================================================================
Percentage change.............................. +4.27 +4.57 +5.19 -37.81 -4.77
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
page school
The United States Senate Page School exists to provide a smooth
transition from and to the students' home schools, providing those
students with as sound a program, both academically and experientially,
as possible during their stay in the Nation's capital, within the
limits of the constraints imposed by the work situation.
Summary of Accomplishments
Accreditation by the Middle States Commission on Secondary Schools
continues through April 2013.
Two page classes successfully completed their semester curriculum.
Closing ceremonies were conducted on June 4, 2010 and January 28, 2011,
the last day of school for each semester.
Orientation and course scheduling for the spring 2010 and fall 2010
pages were successfully completed. Needs of incoming students
determined the semester schedules.
English usage pre- and post-tests were administered to students
each semester and the results were reviewed by faculty to determine
what usage instruction or remediation was needed.
A foreign language seminar on basic grammar terminology was offered
fall 2010.
Study skills sessions were provided to identified students in need
of training.
Faculty and staff provided extended educational experiences to
pages, including 20 field trips, two guest speakers, opportunities to
play musical instruments and vocalize, and foreign language study with
the aid of tutors. Eight field trips to educational sites and two guest
speakers were provided for summer pages as an extension of the page
experience.
National tests were administered for qualification in scholarship
programs. Fourteen pages took 28 Advanced Placement exams in 11
subjects.
The community service project embraced by pages and staff in 2002
continues. Items for gift packages were collected, assembled, and
shipped to military personnel serving in various locations. Pages
included letters of support to the troops.
The evacuation plan and COOP plan have been reviewed and updated.
Pages and staff continue to practice evacuating to primary and
secondary sites.
Staff and pages participated in escape hood training, and staff
renewed certification in CPR/AED procedures.
All students and staff participated in a Constitution Day event.
Computer Services upgraded the Page School's library computers to
include Microsoft 2007.
Summary of Plans
Our goals include:
--Individualized small group instruction and tutoring by teachers on
an as-needed basis will continue to be offered, as well as
optional academic support for students preparing to take AP
tests;
--Foreign language tutors will provide assistance to students, and a
foreign language seminar on basic grammar terminology will
continue to be offered each semester;
--The focus of field trips will be sites of historic, political, and
scientific importance which complement the curriculum;
--English usage pre- and post-tests will continue to be administered
to students each semester to assist faculty in determining
needs of students for usage instruction; and
--Staff development options include attendance at seminars conducted
by Education and Training and subject matter and/or educational
issue conferences conducted by national organizations.
printing and document services
The Office of Printing and Document Services (OPDS) serves as
liaison to GPO for the Senate's official printing, ensuring that all
Senate printing is in compliance with title 44, U.S. Code as it relates
to Senate documents, hearings, committee prints, and other official
publications. The office assists the Senate by coordinating,
scheduling, delivering and preparing Senate legislation, hearings,
documents, committee prints and miscellaneous publications for
printing, and provides printed copies of all legislation and public
laws to the Senate and the public. In addition, the office assigns
publication numbers to all hearings, committee prints, documents and
other publications; orders all blank paper, envelopes, and letterhead
for the Senate; and prepares page counts of all Senate hearings in
order to compensate commercial reporting companies for the preparation
of hearings.
Printing Services
During fiscal year 2010, the OPDS prepared 3,698 requisitions
authorizing GPO to print and bind the Senate's work, exclusive of
legislation and the Congressional Record. Since the requisitioning done
by the OPDS is central to the Senate's printing, the office is uniquely
suited to perform invoice and bid reviewing responsibilities for Senate
printing. As a result of this office's cost accounting duties, OPDS is
able to review and assure accurate GPO invoicing as well as play an
active role in helping to provide the best possible bidding scenario
for Senate publications.
In addition to processing requisitions, the Printing Services
Section coordinates proof handling, job scheduling and tracking for
stationery products, Senate hearings, Senate publications and other
miscellaneous printed products, as well as monitoring blank paper and
stationery quotas for each Senate office and committee. OPDS also
coordinates a number of publications for other Senate offices, such as
the Curator, Historian, Disbursing, Legislative Clerk, Senate Library,
as well as the U.S. Botanic Garden, USCP, AOC, and the CVC. These tasks
include providing guidance for design, paper selection, print
specifications, monitoring print quality, and distribution. Last year's
major printing projects included:
--semi-annual report of the Secretary of the Senate;
--tributes to retiring Senators;
--art and historic objects in the Senate;
--The Kennedy Caucus Room brochure;
--2010 Senate Telephone Directory;
--Senate gallery passes and visitor badges; and
--CVC tour tickets and informational brochures.
Hearing Billing Verification
Senate committees often use outside reporting companies to
transcribe their hearings, both in-house and in the field. OPDS
processes billing verifications for these transcription services
ensuring that costs billed to the Senate are accurate. OPDS utilizes a
program developed in conjunction with the SAA Computer Division that
provides greater billing accuracy and information gathering capacity;
and adheres to the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration's
transcription services billing guidelines for commercial reporting
companies. During 2010, OPDS provided commercial reporting companies
and corresponding Senate committees a total of 820 billing
verifications of Senate hearings and business meetings; more than
59,000 transcribed pages were processed at a total billing cost of
$554,214.
During 2010, the office processed all file transfers and billing
verifications between committees and reporting companies electronically
ensuring efficiency and accuracy.
Secretary of the Senate Service Center
The Service Center within OPDS is staffed by experienced GPO
detailees who provide Senate committees and the Secretary of the
Senate's office with complete publishing services for hearings,
committee prints, and the preparation of the Congressional Record.
These services include keyboarding, proofreading, scanning, and
composition. This allows committees to decrease, or eliminate,
additional overtime costs associated with the preparation of hearings.
Additionally, the Service Center provides work for GPO detailees
assigned to legislative offices during Senate recesses.
Document Services
The Document Services Section coordinates requests for printed
legislation and miscellaneous publications with other departments
within the Secretary's office, Senate committees, and GPO. This section
ensures that the most current version of all material is available, and
that sufficient quantities are available to meet projected demands. The
Congressional Record, a printed record of Senate and House Floor
proceedings, Extension of Remarks, Daily Digest and miscellaneous
pages, is one of the many printed documents provided by the office on a
daily basis. In addition to the Congressional Record, the office
processed and distributed more than 10,000 distinct legislative items
during the 2nd Session of the 111th Congress, including Senate and
House bills, resolutions, committee and conference reports, executive
documents, and public laws.
The demand for online access to legislative information continues
to be strong. Before Senate legislation can be posted online, it must
be received in the Senate through OPDS. Improved database reports allow
the office to report receipt of all legislative bills and resolutions
received in the Senate which can then be made available online and
accessed by other Web sites, such as LIS and Thomas, used by
congressional staff and the public.
Customer Service
The primary responsibility of OPDS is to provide services to the
Senate, but documents are also made available to the general public and
other government agencies. During 2010, more than 12,000 requests for
legislative material were received at the walk-in counter, through the
mail, by fax, and electronically. Online ordering of legislative
documents and the Legislative Hot List Link, where Members and staff
can confirm arrival of printed copies of the most sought after
legislative documents, continued to be popular. The site is updated
several times daily each time new documents arrive from GPO to the
Document Room. In addition, the office handled thousands of phone calls
pertaining to the Senate's official printing, document requests, and
legislative questions. Recorded messages, fax, and email operate around
the clock and are processed as they are received, as are mail requests.
The office stresses prompt, courteous customer service while providing
accurate answers to Senate and public requests.
On-demand Publication
The office supplements depleted legislation where needed by
producing additional copies in the DocuTech Service Center, staffed by
experienced GPO detailees who provide Member offices and Senate
committees with on-demand printing and binding of bills and reports.
On-demand publication allows the department to cut the quantities of
documents printed directly from GPO and reduces waste. The DocuTech is
networked with GPO, allowing print files to be sent back and forth
electronically. This allows OPDS to print necessary legislation for the
Senate Floor, and other offices, in the event of a GPO COOP situation.
Accomplishments and Future Goals
Over the past year, the OPDS has faced challenges by providing new
services for customers and improving existing ones. Of particular note
is the office's commitment to help ``green'' the Senate. During 2010,
more than 5.5 million sheets of 100 percent recycled paper were ordered
by Senate offices, representing a 22 percent increase more than the
previous year. During the last 3 years orders for fully recycled stocks
have increased 750 percent. The office works diligently to track
document requirements, monitoring print quantities, and reducing waste
and associated costs. More than 400 new and revised print jobs were
routed electronically for customer approval improving turnaround time
and efficiency.
The office continues working with the GPO on behalf of its
customers, to improve efficiency and to meet the evolving needs of the
Senate. Focus on COOP and emergency preparedness will continue.
public records
The Office of Public Records receives, processes, and maintains
records, reports, and other documents filed with the Secretary of the
Senate that involve the Federal Election Campaign Act, as amended; the
Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995, as amended; the Senate Code of
Official Conduct: Rule 34, Public Financial Disclosure; Rule 35, Senate
Gift Rule filings; Rule 40, Registration of Mass Mailing; Rule 41,
Political Fund Designees; and Rule 41(6), Supervisor's Reports on
Individuals Performing Senate Services; and Foreign Travel Reports.
The office provides for the inspection, review, and publication of
these documents. From October 2009 through September 2010, the Public
Records office staff assisted more than 2,000 individuals seeking
information from reports filed with the office. This figure does not
include assistance provided by telephone or email, nor help given to
lobbyists attempting to comply with the provisions of the Lobbying
Disclosure Act of 1995, as amended (collectively, the ``LDA''). In
addition, the office works closely with the Federal Election
Commission, the Senate Select Committee on Ethics, and the Clerk of the
U.S. House of Representatives concerning the filing requirements of the
aforementioned Acts and Senate rules.
Fiscal Year 2010 Accomplishments
The office continued to implement S. 1, the Honest Leadership and
Open Government Act (HLOGA), which amended the LDA and the Senate Code
of Conduct. The office posted two guidance updates and concentrated on
LDA compliance issues, referring 2,473 cases of potential noncompliance
to the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia. The Senate Office of
Public Records continued to test COOP plans and pandemic response
plans.
Plans for Fiscal Year 2011
The Public Records office will assess technology infrastructure
needs, as well as continue to semiannually review and update the LDA
Guidance as needed. The office will continue to develop and implement
educational information and tools that will help all report filers
comply fully with the law and assist customers in accessing the
information they seek.
Automation Activities
During fiscal year 2010, the Senate Office of Public Records worked
with the SAA to enhance database performance for all issue areas and
improve public query programs.
Federal Election Campaign Act, As Amended
The act requires Senate candidates to file quarterly and pre- and
postelection reports. Filings totaled 5,147 documents containing
358,500 pages.
Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 (LDA), As Amended
The LDA requires semi-annual financial and lobbying activity
reports. As of September 30, 2010, there were 4,635 registrants
representing 18,776 clients. The total number of individual lobbyists
disclosed on 2010 registrations and reports was 12,754. The total
number of lobbying registrations and reports processed was 131,410.
Public Financial Disclosure
The filing date for Public Financial Disclosure Reports was May 17,
2010. The reports were made available to the public and press by June
16, 2010 as required by statute. Public Records staff provided copies
to the Select Committee on Ethics and the appropriate State officials.
A total of 3,191 reports and amendments were filed containing 21,651
pages. There were 463 requests to review or receive copies of the
documents.
Senate Rule 35 (Gift Rule)
The Senate Office of Public Records received 316 Gift Rule/Travel
reports during fiscal year 2010.
Registration of Mass Mailing
Senators are required to file mass mailing reports on a quarterly
basis. The number of pages submitted during fiscal year 2010 was 495.
stationery room
The United States Senate Stationery Room is the provider of office
and administrative supplies, personalized stationery, and special order
items for official Government business. The Stationery Room serves all
Members, support offices, and other authorized organizations.
The Stationery Room fulfills its mission by:
--Utilizing open market, competitive bid, statutorily required, and/
or GSA schedules for supply procurement;
--Maintaining sufficient in-stock quantities of select merchandise in
order to best meet the immediate needs of the Senate community;
--Developing and maintaining productive business relationships with a
wide variety of vendors to ensure sufficient breadth and
availability of merchandise;
--Maintaining expense accounts for all authorized customers and
preparing monthly activity statements;
--Managing all accounts receivable and accounts payable
reimbursement; and
--Ensuring the integrity of all funds and other government assets
under our control.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Statistics
-----------------------------------
Fiscal year 2009 Fiscal year 2008
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gross sales......................... $3,343,167.00 $3,594,733.94
===================================
Sales transactions.................. 44,626 47,459
Purchase orders issued.............. 6,354 6,586
Vouchers processed.................. 7,022 7,073
Office deliveries................... 5,986 5,661
Number of items delivered........... 136,021 134,191
Number of items sold................ 390,528 439,042
Total cartons received offsite...... 22,583 ................
------------------------------------------------------------------------
GAO Audit
At the request of the Secretary of the Senate, in September 2010,
GAO conducted an inventory observation and audit of the Stationery Room
financial operations. The Stationery Room received a positive review
during the verbal feedback portion of the GAO exit interview. The
recommendations provided by GAO at the conclusion of their observation
had either already been implemented or will be adapted as recommended
as part of our future operational procedures.
Fiscal Year 2011--Looking Ahead
Subject to funding availability, the Stationery Room anticipates an
upgrade to its point-of-sales operations, by upgrading/replacing
obsolete signature capture devices at the counter. This update would
permit transaction receipts to be emailed to the office at the time of
sale, eliminating the generation and loss of paper receipts, and a more
environmentally friendly process.
The Stationery Room hopes to launch a pilot project that will allow
constituents to make online flag purchases from Senate offices
utilizing credit cards to orders. In addition, the Stationery Room
anticipates launching online ordering of stationery supplies by Member
and committee offices in 2011.
web technology
The Department of Web Technology is responsible for the Web sites
that fall under the purview of the Secretary of the Senate:
--the Senate Web site (Senate.gov)--available to the world;
--the Secretary's internal Web site (Webster.senate.gov/secretary)--
available to the Senate Staff;
--central portions of the Senate Intranet (Webster.senate.gov)--
available to the Senate Staff; and
--the Senate Legislative Branch Web site (Legbranch.senate.gov)--
available to the Senate, House of Representatives, LOC, AOC,
GAO, GPO, Congressional Budget Office (CBO), and USCP.
The Senate Web Site--Senate.gov
The Senate Web site content is maintained by more than 30
contributors from seven departments of the Secretary's office and three
departments of the SAA. Content team leaders regularly share ideas and
coordinate the posting of new content. All content is controlled
through the Secretary's Web Content Management System (CMS) managed by
the Department of Web Technology.
Major Additions to the Web site in 2010
Rumors! Tall Tales About Senate Art http://www.senate.gov/
artandhistory/art/myths/myth_homepage.htm
The online exhibit dispels common rumors regarding Senate art. This
project was a multi-year effort, and the final online version is the
product of close collaboration with the Curator's Office.
Artifact Browse List Collections
http://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/art/common/collection_list/
Interior.jsp.
http://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/art/common/collection_list/
Sittername_List.jsp.
http://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/art/common/collection_list/
Beyond_Cap_Hill.jsp
Created new and interesting ways for the Curator's Office to group
artifacts and for these artifacts to be displayed, researched, and
enjoyed by a large and diverse audience. The flexibility of these lists
made it possible to reorganize the artifacts on Senate.gov into a much
more useful manner.
Decorative Art Added
http://www.senate.gov/pagelayout/art/a_three_sections_with_teasers/
DecorativeArts.htm.
The previously mentioned artifact browse lists were instrumental to
getting new genres of artifacts online. The addition of furniture,
mirrors, timepieces, and ephemera makes even more of the Senate Art
collection available for all to enjoy in a fun and informative display.
Daily Senate Floor Report
http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/floor_activity/
floor_activity.htm.
The online report highlights morning, legislative, and executive
business that occurred in the previous day. This one report combines
information previously only available in several different documents
and provides hyperlinks to relevant information, such as bill summary
and status pages, treaties, nominations, and roll call votes. Previous
days' data will be made available in the coming year.
Public Records Feedback Form
http://www.senate.gov/legislative/Public_Disclosure/
feedback_form.htm.
The newly added Web form provides an additional avenue of
communication with the Office of Public Records.
Investigation Committees
http://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/common/briefing/
Investigations.htm.
Produced new page templates and modified existing ones to allow the
Historical Office to showcase and share their rich historical accounts
of Senate and Joint Committees involved in investigations. These
highlight Members involved and trace the origins through the outcome of
these Committees. This is surely an area that will continue to expand
over the years as we are able to add more information about past
investigation Committees and as future ones arise.
Committee FAQ
http://www.senate.gov/general/common/generic/committee_faq.htm.
In response to many emails sent to the public Webmaster account,
data gathered from Web traffic tools, and analysis of searches entered,
this new page was created to answer question about committees and clear
up common misconceptions.
Legislative Process Information Enhanced
http://www.senate.gov/pagelayout/legislative/
d_three_sections_with_teasers/process.htm.
Revamping this section greatly added to the amount of information
available on the legislative process. A related enactment of law
section was also created and linked as a companion: http://
www.senate.gov/legislative/common/briefing/Enactment_law.htm.
Senate Chronology Page
http://www.senate.gov/pagelayout/history/one_item_and_teasers/
chronology.htm#chrono logy=y1787_1800.
Implemented a new and interesting way to display historical
information in conjunction with the Historical Office. The new display
puts all information on a single page which allows the user far more
interaction.
Seven Featured Biographies
http://www.senate.gov/pagelayout/history/one_item_and_teasers/
featured_biographies.htm.
Four Oral Histories
http://www.senate.gov/pagelayout/history/
g_three_sections_with_teasers/oralhistory.htm.
Visitors Section Expanded
http://www.senate.gov/pagelayout/visiting/
a_three_sections_with_teasers/visitors_home.htm.
Unique subsections were added in the visitors section for
employment and procurement opportunities. The employment page allows
for the browsing of positions available with the Secretary of the
Senate, SAA, Member, and committee offices. The information for these
positions come from unique systems and are combined into a single
useful resource location.
Homepage feature articles were published on the following topics:
--Yea or Nay voting in the Senate;
--Celebrate National Library Week: Browse Senate Art Publications;
--Biographical Directory: Who's Who in Congress;
--The Role of Committees in the Legislative Process;
--Senate Art Exhibits: Learning about the Senate;
--Focus on the Constitution: The Connecticut Compromise; and
--Explore the Senate's Decorative Art Collection.
Secretary's Intranet--Webster.senate.gov/secretary
The Secretary of the Senate Intranet (http://webster.senate.gov/
secretary) continued to expand information and services offered. An
archive for UNUM, the newsletter of the office of the Secretary of the
Senate, was established and linked to from the front page. Web-based
order forms were maintained, expanded, and enhanced for the requesting
of specific legislative documents, class registration, blank paper,
room reservations, and stationery product suggestions.
A catalog-based ordering system was developed for the Stationery
Office, which will allow staff to order online. The new system is
managed with the content directly from the Stationery Office's existing
Microsoft Retail Management System (RMS). The ordering system was
designed and implemented with the intent of being especially helpful to
State offices. This project was a multiple-year effort involving
several different departments and the diligent work of four interns who
were instrumental in associating pictures with products.
FrontPage, the Web portal for the SIS, was moved to the Secretary's
internal domain and has a completely new look. Web technology worked
very closely with the Senate Library to help establish and provide
surveys, announcements, and information regarding the transition in
addition designing, developing, and launching the new site,
frontpage.senate.gov, in a short period of time. The design utilizes
more advanced technologies to make the site interesting and useful. All
feedback suggests the new design is very helpful and well received by
users.
Webster Central Web site--Webster.senate.gov
In conjunction with the SAA, Chaplain, and Senate Rules Committee,
Web Technology continued administering, managing, and enhancing the
central section of Webster. Web Technology partnered with the SAA and
the Senate Library to enact major changes to the services tab, the
search functions, and the links available on the lower left of the home
page.
The services tab is now a categorical listing of services available
to the Senate that provides relevant Web pages, phone numbers, and
addresses in a very easy to use interface. The data is produced using a
taxonomy system and integrated through the CMS. The same source data is
used to populate the newly expanded Webster search. This very advanced
technique allows the same source file used for the services to produce
the most relevant search results in the new directory in real time and
without additional work.
Web Technology continue to further streamline the management of
content on the central site by repurposing additional files that are
already updated through existing systems on Senate.gov. The expansion
of repurposed data continues to reduce duplicative efforts, increase
consistency, relevancy, and timeliness of data displayed on Webster.
Standardizing on XML across both sites and having them integrated into
the Secretary's CMS was essential to making this possible.
Senate Legislative Branch Web site (Legbranch.senate.gov)
The Legbranch server is accessible by the Senate, House of
Representatives, LOC, AOC, GAO, GPO, CBO, and USCP. Web technology
maintains a basic Web site for a Capitol Hill email messaging working
group managed by the SAA. In the future the server will be used to
share more information with other Capitol Hill entities.
Accomplishments of the Office of Web Technology in 2010
Completed the CMS upgrade on time and under budget. New hardware
hosts the most currently released versions of the software (as of
January 2010) that comprises the CMS. This upgrade has proven to be the
most stable environment yet. Additionally, Web Technology built a
complete development repository that mimics the production environment.
This allows us a much greater ability to customize the system and try
out various solutions without compromising the uptime or efficiency of
the production version.
Added the Daily Senate Floor Report to Senate.gov. This represents
a milestone, as this project has been worked on for approximately the
past 5 years. The online report highlights morning, legislative, and
executive business that occurred the previous day. This one report
combines information previously only available in various printed
documents. Having much of the data hyperlinked to relevant information,
such as bill summary and status pages, treaties, nominations, and roll
call votes, makes this a tremendously useful resource.
Audited the Senate.gov Web pages regularly, updating, enhancing,
and correcting pages; verifying content; and reviewing individual page
designs throughout Senate.gov for accessibility and usability.
Additionally, attended training on the latest advances in coding
techniques to ensure accessibility and applied them to our sites.
Constantly monitored data feeds from the LIS/DMS system ensuring
content on Senate.gov was current and all processes were functioning
properly. This is of vital importance regarding information such as
committee hearing schedules, vote data, and Member contact information.
Worked with new Senate offices to establish and maintain temporary
Web pages including a picture, biography, and contact information until
they were able to get permanent Web sites established.
Responded to approximately 1,000 emails from the general public
regarding Senate.gov sites. Worked with various content providers, Web
support groups, the SAA, Member, and committee offices to make
suggestions and resolve issues.
Continually reviewed and adjusted search operations and canned
matches for both Senate.gov and Webster based on user tendencies and
requests. A major addition was the creation and maintenance of a new
Google onebox for the services (Red Book) recently released.
Prepared for the release of an online version of the Secretary of
the Senate's Report. Collaborated with the Disbursing Office, the
Committee on Rules and Administration, and GPO to formulate a strategy
to provide the report in a useful and secure manner.
Produced several new versions of the Senate Chief Counsel for
Employment Web site. Worked closely with the office to achieve their
desired look through several iterations of design, development, and
review.
Designed and developed a seminar registration application for the
Senate Chief Counsel for Employment. The system allows customized links
to be sent which auto-populates a registration form along with a
complete class list.
Conducted user testing with Senate staff and interns to increase
understanding of current Web site interactions, desires, and best
practices.
Participated in Capitol Hill working group determining ideal manner
of providing public legislative data in a secure, downloadable, and
searchable format. Other entities involved in this project are the
House of Representative, GPO, and the LOC.
Helped organize Capitol Hill-wide Webmaster meetings, where best
practices were shared across entities. Regularly gave presentations and
facilitated conversations during meetings.
Continually trained and practiced working from remote locations to
be prepared should the need arise. All staff members are fully capable
of accomplishing their job functions from any location with Internet
access. This was accomplished largely through configuring virtual
machines that mimic our workstations on office laptops, which we all
may access. Regardless of which staff member uses which laptop, the
experience will be ubiquitous and consistent with being in the office.
Aided the Senate Library in aspects of SIS transition. The new
FrontPage interface exposes many more resources in an easy to use
manner. In leveraging advances in Web 2.0 technologies, Web Technology
is able to take greater advantage of available space and provide robust
information concisely. Through designing and developing the system in
XML and leveraging the CMS it is easy for nontechnical users to update
and maintain.
Worked extensively with the Senate Library in the continued
development, implementation, and maintenance of taxonomies utilizing a
knowledge base system. Participated in the planning, design,
development, and administration for including the ``Red Book'' data in
the knowledge base and then on Webster.
Created virtualized development server for the Secretary's
Intranet. Also, maintained virtualized production server for the
Secretary's Intranet and dedicated search server.
Worked with the Historical Office and GPO in the design of a new
stand-alone site for the Historical Office's States project that will
be available to the public as well as Senate staff. All required data
templates for the new site have been established in the content
management system.
Continued to enhance subject-based collection lists for the Senate
Curator. Initially the lists organized art objects by sitters. It has
been expanded to other subject areas, all drawn from the Curator's
maintained object database, along with more advanced control options
for Curator staff.
Developed a new vote menu display that utilizes legislative handles
and has new display features as requested from the Legislative Clerks.
Working closely with the LIS/DMS group to implement requested data
changes that will coincide with the new display.
Successfully transitioned more than 700 hyperlinks to GPO's FDSys
as they phase out GPOAccess.
Built an entire new back-up server for the CMS at the ACF with the
SAA, ensuring our COOP plan can be implemented. The ACF server is an
exact replica of the production system and is continually tested to
serve as a real time replacement should the production server become
inoperable. Shortly after the upgrade was completed, Senate.gov
experienced a hardware failure that necessitated the use of the ACF
environment while the Senate was in session and votes were occurring.
Due to extensive planning, Web Technology was able to stand up the
alternative system in approximately 1 hour, a major accomplishment.
Senate.gov Usage Statistics
In 2010 an average of more than 275,000 visits occurred per day on
Senate.gov. Again this year, approximately 26 percent of visitors
entered through the main Senate homepage. The majority came to the site
through the main Senators' contact page; growth in visits is likely due
to the addition of XML data to the contact page and associated
automated requests.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Visits from
Title of Web page Visits/month Average United States
duration (percentage)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Senate.gov site................................................. 8,521,779 16 minutes 90
Senate homepage................................................. 1,856,960 15 seconds ( \1\ )
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Not available.
Reviewing statistics on Web page usage helps the content providers
better understand what information the public is seeking and how best
to improve the presentation of that data. Visitors are consistently
drawn to the following content items, listed in order of popularity.
MOST VISITED PAGES IN 2010
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Average
Top pages Visits/month Visits/month duration
(seconds)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Senators contact info list...................................... 276,248 624,056 42
Committees...................................................... 67,194 92,871 37
Legislation and records......................................... 56,264 75,156 80
Active legislation.............................................. 49.139 63,931 167
Votes home...................................................... 48,793 68,966 68
111th, 2nd Session vote menu.................................... 44,242 74,223 146
Employment positions............................................ 40,471 48,703 416
Calendars....................................................... 33,594 73,100 182
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By a huge margin, the most popular page on the main Senate Web site
is the list of Senators with links to their Web sites, comment forms,
main office addresses, and telephone numbers. Visitors also continue to
be interested in legislative matters in 2010 with Roll Call Vote
Tallies, the Active Legislation table, Committee assignments, and
schedules being particularly popular. The visits per month did decrease
across some of the most visited pages on the site. A big increase is
noted for the visitors to the employment pages now offered on
Senate.gov indicating this is a much used and valuable resource.
Senator Nelson. Thank you.
Senator Hoeven has now joined us.
Do you have any opening remarks that you might want to make
before we ask the SAA to make his presentation?
Senator Hoeven. Only briefly, Mr. Chairman. Thank you.
My only opening comment, at this point, is to thank all of
you for being here, and even more so for the incredible job
that you do. I've just been here a short while, but I can't
help but be impressed by what you do and how well you provide
for not only the Members themselves, but also for all the other
things that you do that go into a really complex and difficult
job. This, of course, is the people's capitol in the greatest
Nation in the world. And so, your responsibility is tremendous.
And you're really on a world stage. I can think of all the
times that I saw, on television, Terry Gainer leading the
President in during the State of the Union Address. And, of
course, all of the things that go into securing these premises,
Chief, and still making it friendly to the public.
PREPARED STATEMENT
And so, Nancy, to you, and to all of you, for the job that
you do, again, in providing for the Senators, the Members of
Congress, and, at the same time, keeping this incredible
complex that is so historically significant and so magnificent
in every way for the responsibility you have and the way that
you conduct your duties every day, I just want to commend you
for that; and, of course, look forward to working with you on
this very important aspect of doing that important job; and, of
course, that's the budget.
So, thank you so much.
[The statement follows:]
Prepared Statement of Senator John Hoeven
Thank you, Chairman Nelson, for calling this hearing to consider
the fiscal year 2012 legislative branch budget requests for the
Secretary of the Senate, the Sergeant at Arms (SAA), and the United
States Capitol Police (USCP). I would like to join you in welcoming our
witnesses: Secretary of the Senate, Nancy Erickson; Senate SAA, Terry
Gainer; and the Chief of the USCP, Phillip Morse; and their deputies
and assistants who will be assisting with testimony. I thank you all
for being here with us today for this important discussion on how the
agencies you represent are planning to move forward in the coming
fiscal year.
The Secretary of the Senate's office is requesting $31.99 million,
a slight increase of 0.2 percent to restore the across-the-board
rescission that was taken of all non-defense, discretionary
appropriations in the final fiscal year 2011 continuing resolution.
This funding request maintains the transfer of the Senate Information
Services program from the SAA to the Secretary's office, so I am
pleased to have both of you here today to speak about this particular
program, its funding needs and the success of its transfer.
The SAA total request is $219.2 million, an increase of $214,000,
or 0.1 percent, which includes $77.6 million for salaries and $141.6
million for expenses. The subcommittee worked very closely with the SAA
and the Secretary's office last year to ensure that appropriate funding
was in place for the Telecom Modernization and Payroll System Upgrade
projects, so I am very interested in hearing about how those projects
are progressing.
Finally, the USCP request totals $387.6 million, an increase of
$47.5 million, or 14 percent, which includes an increase of $22.2
million, or 8 percent, for salaries and $25.3 million, or 40 percent,
for expenses. I am interested to hear about improvements that have been
made in the budget formulation process, after the budget
miscalculations from fiscal year 2010, and whether or not any
improvements have been made in the overtime issue that the USCP
continues to face. And of course, I look forward to an update on the
Radio Modernization Program.
As you are all painfully aware, the completion of the fiscal year
2011 appropriations process included great debate on both sides of the
aisle and both sides of the Capitol on how best to reduce overall
spending across the Federal Government. While we made reductions to
many funding levels in the legislative branch, for the most part each
of the appropriations accounts within your agencies was either held
relatively harmless or received an increase when compared to fiscal
year 2010. I would suggest that you should not anticipate receiving
such favored treatment in the fiscal year 2012 budget--we must
seriously begin the process of scaling back funding in all
appropriations accounts, even if it means giving up some of the
services we are accustomed to receiving here in the Capitol complex.
I look forward to working with you on the funding issues for your
agencies as we move through the fiscal year 2012 process.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Senator Nelson. Thank you, Senator Hoeven.
SERGEANT AT ARMS AND DOORKEEPER
STATEMENT OF HON. TERRANCE W. GAINER, SENATE SERGEANT
AT ARMS
Mr. Gainer. Thank you, Mr. Chairman and Ranking Member
Hoeven. I appreciate the opportunity to join my colleagues
before you this afternoon to discuss our budget submission for
the upcoming fiscal year.
I ask that my written testimony be submitted and made part
of the record.
Senator Nelson. And it will be.
Mr. Gainer. Mr. Chairman, we have spoken, over the past few
years, about the importance of tightening our belts amidst the
fiscal turmoil we find ourselves in, and we have heard you with
unmistakable clarity. Senator Hoeven and I and my two
colleagues recently met with him and had a very similar
conversation.
Accordingly, the budget request I have submitted for fiscal
year 2012 is, as you indicated, just a bit more than $219
million. That is an increase of less than $250,000 more than
the fiscal year 2011 enacted level, and 9 percent, or $20
million, below the amount I requested in fiscal year 2011. This
year, we have chosen to defer requests for upgrades to our IT
systems and for increased capacity for our data storage
networks, requests we would have made in a better budget
environment.
To the extent we have some urgent needs that cannot be
deferred further without affecting operations of the Senate, we
will submit a request to the subcommittee to use our remaining
prior year unobligated funds to cover them.
I am proud of the efforts my staff has made to reduce costs
across the agency, and we will continue to look for ways to
achieve additional savings with uncompromising service to the
community.
The SAA is a member of the legislative branch procurement
group--this is an example of some savings--which enables
legislative branch agencies to recognize savings and economies
of scale by working together on common contracts and
acquisition activity. Through these combined efforts,
legislative branch agencies have saved $6.6 million during 2009
and 2010.
Mr. Chairman, our budget has remained virtually flat for 3
consecutive years. We have identified and eliminated all of the
so called low-hanging fruit in our budget. I fear that further
reductions will adversely impact our service to you and the
Senate community. In order to be good stewards of the
taxpayers' money, it is my responsibility to make sure that we
are providing the infrastructure, security, and support needed
for this institution to run smoothly. These services take place
not only here in Washington, but in the 454 State offices.
My 40-plus-page written testimony covers accomplishments
and challenges during the past year. Let me give you just a few
highlights.
In the last 2 years, our phone system was overwhelmed by
the massive volume of calls generated by the healthcare debate.
Senators were upset, rightly so, and so were your constituents.
There were gaps in the phone service between Members and their
constituents, and our voicemail system was unable to withstand
the pressure. It was our job to ensure that this does not
happen again.
To that end, offices were introduced, last year, to the
Watson Messaging and Watson Online directory updates. These
functions provide one of the key things officers were asking
for: the ability to tailor their internal processes to better
meet their constituents' needs. The new phone system, which
will begin to roll out later this year, will be even more
robust than the current one, and will eliminate the volume-
related issues we have seen in the past.
Our IT successes this year included the continuation of our
server virtualization efforts. We will reduce energy,
maintenance, and support costs by running more than 500 servers
in the virtual environment.
Our Help Desk team achieved a customer satisfaction rating
of more than 96 percent--an excellent level. We successfully
processed 257 million email messages in the past year, while
protecting our customers from spam and malicious messages.
And we continue to update the tools the Senators and staff
can use to stay connected with each other and their
constituents: adding smartphones and other mobile wireless
devices to our catalog, and upgrading the already robust video
conferencing capabilities.
This subcommittee granted us approval last year to relocate
our printing, graphics, and direct-mail function from Postal
Square on Capitol Hill to the new offsite facility located in
Landover, Maryland. Thank you very much. We are very grateful
for your leadership on this endeavor, and proud to report that
the project is on schedule, actually a little bit ahead of
schedule, and under budget, and will generate a substantial
savings in cost as we move forward. Our return-on-investment
calculations appear to be right on target. We'll save more than
$10 million in the 20 years, for about a 3.6 percent return on
investment.
During 2010, our post office processed the second-highest
volume of mail in the last decade. I'm pleased to announce, in
February of this year the Senate Post Office began accepting
credit and debit cards, an added convenience for our customers.
There's been very good feedback on that.
The number of floor proceedings has increased, the number
of committee hearings has substantially increased, the number
of radio feeds that we've sent out has increased. All this has
been brought about by the allocations that you, Chairman, and
your budget committee have given us.
In May 2010, we opened a Hart Senate Office Building
appointment desk to assist staff in escorting guests to the
Capitol. Our five Senate appointment desks collectively
welcomed nearly 165,000 guests during 2010. Our customer and
employee satisfaction levels have never been higher. The
numbers are very good, both within the SAA and Senate-wide.
But, providing quality service to the Senate wouldn't be
possible without our close working relationship with the
Secretary of the Senate, the USCP, the Architect of the Capitol
(AOC), and the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration.
Recently, just as another example, in working with the
Senate Rules Committee and the USCP, we implemented a new
Senate floor closure policy that establishes a clear and
concise hours of operations of the doors. This initiative will
save 8,970 hours of overtime and $553,000 annually. Chief Morse
and the Rules Committee worked very hard on that.
We have a great team, led by Martina Bradford, my deputy;
Bret Swanson in Operations; Chris Dey, our Chief Financial
Officer; Pat Murphy, Human Resources Director; Kim Winn, the
Chief Information Officer; Christy Prietsch, who serves the
entire Senate community and has been very busy in the Employee
Assistance Program; Cam Stickley, Education and Training
Director; Becky Daugherty, our protocol officer; Rich
Majauskas, in Continuity and Emergency Preparedness; Mike
Stenger, in Intelligence and Protective Services; and Rick
Edwards, in Capitol Operations.
The only area in which I have not been successful is to
change Nancy Olkewicz from an oppressor to one who's oppressed.
But, we are working on that. And I will be happy to answer any
questions.
PREPARED STATEMENT
But, I would just like to say something to my partner,
Chief. Many of the drivers of the USCP budget increase lie in
the constant challenges imposed by the USCP Board, ongoing
threats, and the Chief's proactive desire to enhance safety.
So, while that seems like, ``Why do we keep raising that?'' I
sometimes wish the board could come and testify about all the
angst we go through to try to make this place safe.
Thank you, Sir.
[The statement follows:]
Prepared Statement of Terrance W. Gainer
introduction
Mr. Chairman and members of the subcommittee, thank you for
inviting me to testify before you today. I am pleased to report on the
progress the Office of the Senate Sergeant at Arms (SAA) has made over
the past year and our plans to enhance our contributions to the Senate
in the coming year.
For fiscal year 2012, the SAA respectfully requests a total budget
of $219,176,000. This is an increase of $214,000 more than the fiscal
year 2011 enacted level, and $20,000,000 (or 9 percent) below the
amount requested in fiscal year 2011. This modest budget request will
allow us to maintain, for now, the level of service we provide to the
Senate community. Mr. Chairman, you have spoken over the past few years
about the importance of tightening our belts amid fiscal turmoil and we
have heard you with unmistakable clarity. This year, we have chosen to
postpone making requests for upgrades to our information technology
(IT) systems and for increased capacity to our data storage networks,
requests we would have made in a better budget environment. Instead, as
the committee previously requested, we are submitting a request to use
prior year unobligated balances for the technology items we removed
from the fiscal year 2012 budget.
I am proud of the efforts my staff has made to reduce costs across
the organization and will continue to look for ways to achieve
additional savings without compromising service to the Senate
community. Mr. Chairman, we have remained flat for 3 years now. We have
exhausted our efforts to eliminate the so-called ``low-hanging fruit''.
I fear that additional cuts to this budget will significantly impact
our service to the Senate community. The appendix accompanying this
testimony elaborates on the specific components of our fiscal year 2012
budget request.
In developing this budget and our operating plans, we are guided by
priorities framed in our Strategic Plan, including ensuring the United
States Senate is as secure and prepared for an emergency as possible,
and providing the Senate with outstanding service and support,
including the enhanced use of technology.
Our preparedness efforts during the past year placed a premium on
our interaction with Senate offices. During 2010, each office was
personally visited or contacted by a member of our emergency
preparedness team multiple times in response to support requests or to
update emergency plans. Each contact was designed to enhance and
upgrade our program and ensure that Senate staff has the essential
tools necessary to respond during an emergency. We leveraged these
interactions to ensure we addressed preparedness planning, emergency
notification protocols, emergency equipment, and accountability of
staff throughout an emergency event.
Our IT successes this year included the continuation of our server
virtualization efforts, where we reduce energy, maintenance, and
support costs by running more than 500 servers in a virtual
environment. Our Help Desk team achieved a customer satisfaction rating
of more than 96 percent at the satisfactory or excellent level. We
deployed new voice messaging and directory update capabilities as part
of our ongoing telecommunications modernization project. We
successfully processed 257 million email messages during calendar year
2010, while protecting our customers from spam and malicious messages.
And we continued to update and expand the tools that Senators and staff
can use to stay connected with each other and their constituents--
supporting iPhones and iPads, adding mobile wireless devices to our
technology catalog, and upgrading our already robust video conferencing
capabilities.
In other services, our cabinet shop designed, built, and installed
177 pieces of furniture, a 43 percent increase from the previous year.
The demand for framing services increased by 6 percent more than the
previous year with a total of 2,764 orders completed. During fiscal
year 2010, our Printing, Graphics, and Direct Mail (PGDM) department
continued to improve operations and respond to the demand for producing
documents from digital files. By utilizing the latest technology in
digital printing, the publishing section produced 7.8 million pages, an
increase of 81 percent more than fiscal year 2009. Another area of high
demand during fiscal year 2010 was the production of charts. By
upgrading software to process files quicker, PGDM produced 9,273 large-
format charts, an increase of 15 percent more than fiscal year 2009.
And Mr. Chairman, in fiscal year 2010, this subcommittee approved
the use of prior year unobligated funding to relocate the Postal Square
printing and mailing operations to a new facility in Landover,
Maryland. This relocation has a projected net positive cash flow of
$2.8 million and 3.6 percent return on investment over 20 years. Design
plans have been approved for the build-out of the facility, and the SAA
has contracts in place to support moving equipment and installing data
communications and a security system. Construction started in January
2011 and PGDM will begin moving equipment in July 2011 and take
occupancy in September 2011. We greatly appreciate your support in this
effort.
My organization continues to be a good steward of taxpayers'
dollars as we continue to elevate our performance. Our productivity
increased to unprecedented levels, exemplified by the Senate Post
Office processing the second-highest volume of mail in the last decade,
surpassed only by 2009. I was pleased to announce in February of this
year that, as an added convenience for our customers, the Senate Post
Office now accepts credit and debit cards. Feedback from our customers
has been extremely positive.
The year 2010 represented another busy period for the Recording
Studio. Last year, we provided 1,078 hours of gavel-to-gavel coverage
of Senate Floor proceedings. We provided broadcast coverage of 723
Senate committee hearings and 1,074 radio productions. Additionally,
our team of seasoned professionals produced 1,066 shows for Senators
from our television studios. In addition, this past year our Recording
Studio broke new ground when we provided the land-based production and
engineering support for an appropriations hearing which included a live
videoconference with astronauts aboard the International Space Station.
To enhance our services to the Senate community, in May, 2010, we
opened a Hart Senate Appointment Desk to assist staff in escorting
guests to the Capitol. Our five Senate Appointment Desks collectively
processed 163,811 guests during 2010. The total number of badges issued
was the second highest in a given year since the appointment desks were
created more than 26 years ago. The past 4 years have been
extraordinary in that the Senate has been in session an average of 181
days from 2007 through 2010. This represents a 21 percent increase to
the 150 average number of days the Senate was in session from 1996
through 2006. Our customer satisfaction and employee morale levels have
never been higher. All of this is to say that the SAA team is working
toward the vision of our Strategic Plan: Exceptional Public Service . .
. Exceeding the Expected.
Assisting with all of the efforts of the SAA is an outstanding
senior management team including Martina Bradford, who serves as my
Deputy; Republican Liaison Mason Wiggins; Assistant Sergeant at Arms
for Capitol Operations Rick Edwards; General Counsel Joseph Haughey;
Legislative Liaison Nancy Olkewicz; Assistant Sergeant at Arms for
Continuity and Emergency Preparedness Operations Rich Majauskas;
Assistant Sergeant at Arms for Intelligence and Protective Services
Mike Stenger; Assistant Sergeant at Arms and Chief Information Officer
Kimball Winn; Chief Financial Officer Chris Dey; and Assistant Sergeant
at Arms for Operations Bret Swanson. The many goals and accomplishments
set forth in this testimony would not have been possible without this
team's leadership and commitment.
We are grateful for our relationship with the U.S. Capitol Police
(USCP). I am honored this year to serve as Chairman of the United
States Capitol Police Board and, in this regard, I value the input of
the other members, House Sergeant at Arms Bill Livingood, Architect of
the Capitol (AOC) Stephen Ayers, and Chief Phillip D. Morse, Sr., who
is an ex officio member of the Board. Working with the Senate Committee
on Rules and Administration and the USCP, we recently implemented a new
Senate door closure policy that establishes clear and concise hours of
operation for the doors in the Senate office buildings and the Senate
side of the Capitol. This initiative will save 8,970 hours of overtime
duty and $553,000 annually.
The SAA also works with other organizations that support the
Senate. I would like to take this opportunity to mention how important
their contributions have been in helping us achieve our objectives. In
particular, we work regularly with the Secretary of the Senate, the
AOC, and the Office of the Attending Physician. When appropriate, we
coordinate our efforts with the United States House of Representatives
and the agencies of the executive and judicial branches. I am impressed
by the people with whom we work and blessed with the quality of the
relationships we have built together.
I am very proud of all the men and women of the SAA team who help
keep the Senate running. While serving as SAA, I have seen their great
work and devotion to this institution. The employees of the SAA are
among the most committed and creative in Government.
As always, my staff and I are grateful for the support and guidance
of your subcommittee, the full committee and the Senate Committee on
Rules and Administration.
saa deg.continuity and emergency preparedness operations
Emergency Planning
Our emergency plans and procedures are designed to ensure the
safety of Senators, staff, and visitors within our facilities and equip
them with the necessary tools to respond to any situation. Each year we
strive to improve these procedures using industry best practices and
lessons learned. We made significant strides to ensure staff
preparedness through enhancing Emergency Action Plans (EAP), mobility-
impaired evacuation procedures, internal relocation actions, and the
annual Chamber Protective Actions exercise.
The central document that reflects our preparedness efforts is the
EAP and I am pleased to inform you that 100 percent of Senate offices
now possess a customized version based on their unique circumstances
and needs. In this past year, 65 percent of all Senate office EAPs were
reviewed and validated using guidelines set forth by the Occupational
Safety and Health Administration and the Congressional Accountability
Act (CAA). Significant areas of improvement included the addition of
office-specific shelter-in-place locations, internal relocation
actions, and AIRCON threat procedures. We collaborated with the Senate
Chief Counsel for Employment to develop EAPs for all Senators'
hideaways. This included confirming evacuation routes for Senators and
deploying additional emergency equipment. We met with new office
managers and established an EAP for each office assigned to a swing
space. We subsequently made appropriate adjustments as offices were
moved to permanent suites. This effort involved collaborating with each
office's Office Emergency Coordinator (OEC), installing and
transferring emergency equipment, and training office staff.
Accommodating staff with accessibility needs is outlined in each
office's EAP and is an integral portion of our training efforts. A
major enhancement to our program this year is the increased capability
to simultaneously evacuate mobility-impaired individuals from both the
primary and alternate emergency staging areas within the Senate office
buildings instead of just one location.
Last year I reported on the implementation of the internal
relocation program. This year I am pleased to announce the completion
of our program rollout. We collaborated with the AOC to install signage
throughout the Senate office buildings indicating internal relocation
sites. In response to numerous office comments, comfort stations have
been deployed to all sites including the Dirksen Senate Office Building
stairwells. Notification messages were developed and displayed in
collaboration with the House of Representatives and USCP. We have also
conducted six individual office exercises to validate our plans and
messages and will execute more in calendar year 2011.
The protection and preparedness of Senators, staff, and visitors
within the Senate Chamber is one of our main focus areas. Each year we
test and validate the Chamber Protective Actions plan by conducting a
full-scale exercise within the Chamber. The 2010 exercise proved to be
the most comprehensive and complex exercise to date. The exercise
linked together Chamber Protective Actions procedures with the
deployment of escape hoods and comfort stations along with the
subsequent execution of the USCP Senate Leadership AIRCON Rally Point
Plan and Briefing Center Plan.
Emergency Communications and Accountability
We continued to improve notification and communication programs
this year to ensure devices and systems are ready to support the Senate
during local or large-scale emergencies. The Accountability and
Emergency Roster System (ALERTS) is the primary alert and notification
system that provides a single interface for delivering emergency email,
PIN, and voice messages to the Senate population. We conduct monthly
tests for staff and biannual tests for Senators in conjunction with the
USCP, Secretary of the Senate, party secretaries, and other
stakeholders. These tests are designed to ensure our emergency
messaging system is reaching all intended recipients. This year we
introduced the ALERTS Dashboard to provide our office and the USCP with
real-time accountability data through a user-friendly graphic
interface. This capability was tested during the summer recess
evacuation drills in the assembly areas and at the USCP Incident
Command Post. We also continue to support USCP assembly area operations
through the deployment of tablets and laptops with faster connections,
greater reliability, and ergonomic features. We consistently reinforce
the importance of accountability with Senate staff by conducting Remote
Check-in drills and training using BlackBerry devices. We trained 406
OECs and achieved a 60 percent successful reporting rate this year,
demonstrating increased participation over the last 2 years.
The SAA provides ``watch standers'' in the USCP Command Center
after normal business hours when the Senate is in session or during
emergency incidents and special events. Watch standers are trained to
use the Senate Dialogic and Chyron systems to assist USCP as necessary
and provide senior SAA leadership with amplifying information regarding
ongoing events. Due to reliance on these two systems, the Dialogic
Communicator System was upgraded to provide better completion
percentages of voice messaging to desk and mobile phones. Additional
capabilities were added to the Chyron Cable TV Alert System to handle
digital and high-definition channels. The system is now fully capable
of sending alert messages via digital channels once they are activated
by the AOC.
We procured and installed WebEOC Mapper Professional, a Geospatial
Information System that provides Senate emergency managers with the
ability to create a dynamic, geographically based common operating
picture. Multilayered mapping has proven to be a highly effective
emergency management technique for government and law enforcement
agencies throughout the country. We also continue to administer
WebFusion to promote collaboration between the Senate, House of
Representatives, GAO, and AOC emergency managers through seamless
information sharing across networks. Additionally, WebFusion has
allowed legislative branch users to connect to local and State
emergency managers throughout the National Capital Region. Information
sharing between legislative and executive branch emergency managers is
further being improved through the installation of a Homeland Secure
Data Network (HSDN) terminal. Our mission requires access to classified
email, messaging, data analysis, and collaboration tools along with law
enforcement, emergency management, and National Capital Region intranet
resources. The use of HSDN will assist in intelligence gathering,
situational awareness, decisionmaking, and event reporting.
Training and Equipment
Training and outreach programs are designed to provide interactive
classroom and personalized instruction to the Senate community. These
valuable programs give staff a variety of preparedness and life-safety
awareness information to enhance personnel and office protection. This
year, 274 training sessions were conducted in which more than 5,600
staff were trained on a variety of preparedness topics. We initiated an
OEC certificate program in 2008 for staff that completed requisite
emergency preparedness courses and were pleased to issue 25
certificates this year. This certificate recognizes an OEC's
willingness and commitment to enhance their professional knowledge in
emergency preparedness and to be ready to support any emergency action
that may occur on Capitol Hill.
The culmination of our emergency preparedness training and outreach
programs is the Senate's National Preparedness Day event held each
September as part of National Preparedness Month. This event invites
members of the emergency management community throughout the National
Capital Region to set up static equipment displays, provide program
capability awareness training, and demonstrate new products. I had the
pleasure of introducing USCP Chief Phillip D. Morse, Sr. and National
Weather Service Director Dr. John Hayes as guest speakers to address
our theme of ``One Minute--One Life: Are You Prepared?'' to more than
100 staff members at this year's event.
Our continued management and support of emergency protective and
communication equipment caches in each Senate office has been a key
preparedness posture. These caches allow offices to receive
notifications from the USCP to shelter-in-place, deploy to their
designated internal relocation site, or use specified equipment to
evacuate the building. Each cache includes escape hoods, emergency
supply kits, and wireless emergency annunciators. Our office ensures
functionality through an annual inventory of assigned equipment and
replacement of expired items. All swing spaces and permanent suites for
freshmen Senators were supplied with equipment prior to occupancy at
the beginning of the 112th Congress. More than 270 offices and more
than 27,000 pieces of equipment were inventoried over the past year
alone. Additions to the equipment program include emergency news radios
for office supply kits, deployment of Victim Rescue Units to primary
and alternate staging elevator caches, installation of portable comfort
stations and lockers at internal relocation sites, and implementation
and activation of an AIRCON warning and notification system for the
fourth floor of the Capitol.
We released an updated version of the Roadmap to Readiness in 2011
and included an Emergency Response Guide, a condensed, portable version
of critical emergency information. The Roadmap to Readiness is a
comprehensive guide designed to equip offices with the necessary tools
to create emergency plans for Washington, DC and State offices. It also
suggests how to educate and train staff to respond appropriately in
emergencies. Additionally, new Web-based training classes have been
developed to provide staff with the means to educate themselves from
the convenience of their desktops.
We are improving audio and visual capabilities in rooms primarily
used for training Senate staff, but are used as EOCs during special
events or emergencies. The ability to display information on multiple
screens is essential for EOC operations and will also greatly improve
the capabilities needed to provide technical training to Senate staff.
SAA is simultaneously working to improve similar capabilities at the
Alternate Computing Facility (ACF) in Manassas in case the primary
location is unavailable, and a briefing room in the CVC that may be
used as a situation room or operations center during a shelter-in-
place. Upgrading capabilities at these locations will ensure senior
staff is equipped to manage special events and emergency incidents
through better information management and improved situational
awareness.
Exercises
A comprehensive exercise program is structured to ensure Senate
plans are practiced and validated regularly. The SAA and Secretary of
the Senate conduct several joint exercises annually with the USCP, AOC,
Office of Attending Physician, party secretaries, and other key
congressional stakeholders. A total of 15 exercises, tabletops, and
guided discussions were completed in 2010, covering all aspects of
emergency response including offsite alternate chamber, emergency
operations center, chamber protective actions, briefing center,
transportation, contingency telecommuting, accountability measures,
internal relocation, mass casualty, and alternate office space. We
successfully exercised a Chamber evacuation leading to Briefing Center
activation to further test our abilities to quickly set up contingency
facilities resulting in the most comprehensive Chamber exercise to
date. A ``no-notice'' exercise was conducted to test the ability to
activate an after-hours contingency site without warning. The general
exercise format included functional capabilities demonstrations and
tabletop scenarios designed to test the Senate's ability to function
during an event that requires relocating to alternate facilities or
contingency sites. After-action reports were generated to document
lessons learned for future plan improvement. More than 15 exercises are
scheduled for 2012 in addition to numerous training events and smaller-
scale tests and drills designed to maintain and strengthen existing
capabilities while addressing emerging needs and solutions.
Continuity and Recovery
This year Continuity and Emergency Preparedness Operations (CEPO)
focused on developing contingency transportation and classified site
plans as well as validating existing plans and procedures. We continued
collaborating with Senate offices and committees to develop internal
continuity of operations plans (COOP) and train staff accordingly. We
acquired new transportation assets and developed accompanying
activation and operations plans by leveraging our external support
organization. We worked with our counterparts in the House to develop
the Personnel Accountability System to enhance accountability during
contingency transportation. The program is now in the final stages of
development.
As part of its plans to refine accommodations at unclassified
continuity sites, CEPO updated the wiring in the Thurgood Marshall
Building Briefing Center. A full-scale exercise at the Postal Square
Briefing Center was conducted to validate movement of Senators to a
safe and secure environment in the aftermath of an incident. We also
improved plans to utilize the Government Accountability Office (GAO)
building as an alternate office in the event the Senate is no longer
able to occupy its regular work space. COOP materials and vital records
were placed at these contingency facilities and on classified networks
for convenient access. Finally, we collaborated with the Committee on
Rules and Administration to develop new Fly Away Kits for committee
hearings during continuity events. These materials are stored at
classified locations and can be rapidly deployed after an incident.
saa deg.intelligence and protective services
State Office Security and Preparedness
State office programs make security and preparedness training
available to Senators and staff in more than 450 State offices
throughout the United States. Almost two-thirds of these offices are
located in commercial buildings with no internal security. The rest are
located in Federal buildings that generally have some level of building
security, but are routinely targeted for disruptive activity. Numerous
high-profile and contentious issues arose in 2010 and several violent
incidents in and around State offices led to increased awareness and
participation in this voluntary, but critical program. Participating
offices are provided with secure reception areas in order to screen
visitors for signs of hostility, aggression, or impairment. Offices are
also outfitted with access controls, duress buttons, burglar alarm
systems, and closed-circuit camera systems. The program covers
installation, maintenance, and alarm monitoring services and also
includes an annual inspection and equipment testing.
During 2010, more than 300 State offices received direct assistance
in completing or updating their Comprehensive Emergency Plan (CEP). The
CEP combines security, emergency preparedness, and continuity of
government processes into one document that meets the requirements of
the CAA. Continuous outreach regarding the importance of establishing
plans was conducted through the development of a streamlined template
to assist small offices with no continuity of operations requirement,
and an online method to enter preliminary plan information. State
office hazard overviews were completed or updated for 218 offices to
identify natural or man-made hazards to be considered during plan
development. Additionally, 13 new State offices received program
briefings and emergency equipment and supplies similar to DC offices.
Pandemic information was promptly disseminated to all State offices and
approval from the Committee on Rules and Administration allowed staff
to procure supplies for combating the H1N1 virus. A monthly OEC
bulletin is now regularly distributed to all State offices and a
certificate path has been established for State OECs. The focus of the
program this year will turn to Web site updates and providing
additional preparedness classes online.
We provided security enhancements in 57 State offices during 2010.
These enhancements included building secure reception areas to screen
visitors, and installing burglar alarms, duress buttons, and closed-
circuit cameras with digital video recorders. To date, the program has
provided security enhancements in 80 percent of offices located in
commercial spaces and 62 percent of offices located in Federal
buildings, bringing the total amount of current offices with security
enhancements to 75 percent. Additionally, more than 300 State office
alarm systems were tested and inspected this year. This year, the focus
will turn to utilizing a new all-hazard risk assessment to survey State
offices and offer security enhancements to nonparticipating offices.
Collaboration with representatives from the USCP, General Services
Administration (GSA), Federal Protective Service, and the U.S. Marshals
Service will continue.
USCP Operations
The Senate Campus Access program that coordinates Member office and
committee requests for vehicle access through the campus security
perimeter processed 586 special requests for vehicle clearances,
deliveries, and bus access during fiscal year 2010, an increase of more
than 130 percent from fiscal year 2009. Additionally, we developed an
electronic request form via Webster for USCP coverage at subcommittee
hearings.
We collaborated with the USCP and external law enforcement agencies
to monitor and secure special events such as the State of the Union
Address, Democratic Senatorial Retreat, various joint sessions of the
Congress, Summer Concert Series, Supreme Court nomination hearing for
Associate Justice Elena Kagan, and memorial services for Senators
Robert C. Byrd and Edward Kennedy.
The Duty Desk in the USCP Command Center continues to ensure SAA
representation and provide communication between the USCP and the
Senate community during special events, critical incidents, and routine
operations. The Duty Desk is manned by SAA personnel during business
hours and while the Senate is in session. SAA staff receives routine
training and updated operating procedures to fulfill the
responsibility.
Our recently hired Assistant Sergeant at Arms for Intelligence and
Protective Services Mike Stenger maintains excellent working
relationships with a multitude of components within the intelligence
and law enforcement communities. Such trusted partnerships allow for
the timely and accurate sharing of all-source intelligence and law
enforcement-sensitive threat information when breaking situations
occur. Furthermore, it provides the opportunity to collect all-source
intelligence from appropriate partners and assess, integrate, and brief
essential information to senior SAA staff that can then make sound,
timely decisions for the safety and security of the U.S. Senate.
Finally, recent events in Arizona led our office to greatly expand
monitoring law enforcement investigations involving threats to Senators
and provide updates to the SAA and affected Senators, from case opening
through adjudication. We receive Senate office requests for local law
enforcement assistance at public events and coordinate evaluation and
assessment through the USCP. We are collaborating with the USCP
Uniformed Services Bureau to develop a consistent and seamless
community outreach program regarding safety and security for Senate
offices.
saa deg.it
Enhancing Service, Security, and Stewardship
We continue to provide a wide range of effective IT solutions to
facilitate the Senate's ability to perform its legislative, constituent
service, and administrative duties; to safeguard the information and
systems the Senate relies upon; and to be ready to respond to
emergencies and disruptions. As in our other areas, we also emphasize
stewardship--the careful use of all of our resources, including the
funding we are provided, our personnel and the external resources that
we consume--in all aspects of our IT operation.
As we do each year, we have updated, and are performing under, our
2-year Information Technology Strategic Plan. The current version,
under which we will be operating in fiscal year 2012, continues to
emphasize our five strategic IT goals and their supporting objectives
that drive our programmatic and budgetary decisions:
Secure.--A secure Senate information infrastructure;
Customer Service Focused.--A customer service culture top-to-
bottom;
Effective.--IT solutions driven by business requirements;
Accessible, Flexible, and Reliable.--Access to mission-critical
information anywhere, anytime, under any circumstances;
Modern.--A state-of-the-art information infrastructure built on
modern, proven technologies.
Our fourth IT strategic goal--accessible, flexible, and reliable--
may be the most impactful of the five goals. This goal undergirds
everything we do from a technology standpoint. We must ensure that
almost every system and every service we deploy can withstand
disruptions to our operating environment, can be reconfigured if
necessary to cope with disruptions, and can be used regardless of
whether the person trying to use it is located within one of our spaces
or elsewhere. We continuously re-evaluate existing services and systems
to identify areas for improvement and make those improvements as soon
as we can, in an effort to ensure the Senate can continue to do its
work under any circumstances.
From a budgetary standpoint, more than one-half of the Chief
Information Officer organization's fiscal year 2012 request will cover
the installation and support of the equipment acquired by Senate
personal offices through the economic allocation, and for other
programs that benefit offices directly. One-third will be devoted to
providing services at the enterprise level, such as information
security, the Senate data network, electronic mail infrastructure, and
telephone systems. The remainder is almost equally divided between
supporting the office of the Secretary of the Senate with payroll,
financial management, legislative information, and disclosure systems;
and our own administrative and management systems.
saa deg.enhancing service to the senate
Customer Service, Satisfaction, and Communications
Our Information Technology Strategic Plan stresses customer service
as a top priority, and we actively solicit feedback from all levels and
for all types of services. For instance, we solicit customer feedback
for every help desk ticket opened. In major contracts that affect our
customers, we include strict service levels that are tied to the
contractors' compensation--if they do well, they get paid more; if they
do poorly, they get paid less. For instance, during the past year, the
percentage of on-time arrivals for the IT installation team never
dropped below 99 percent. The percentage of help desk calls that were
resolved during the initial call averaged 56 percent, and 96 percent of
customer surveys rated the IT help desk and installation services as
either ``very satisfactory'' or ``excellent''. We expect this excellent
level of performance to continue through fiscal year 2012.
In fiscal year 2012 we will continue to communicate effectively
with our customers through a well-developed outreach program that
includes IT newsletters, periodic project status reviews, IT working
groups, weekly technology and business process review meetings with
customers, and joint project and policy meetings with the Committee on
Rules and Administration, the Senate Systems Administrators
Association, and the administrative managers steering group.
Robust, Reliable, and Modern Communications
We provide modern, robust, and reliable data network and network-
based services that the Senate relies upon to communicate
electronically within and among offices on Capitol Hill and in the 50
States, to and from other legislative branch agencies, and through the
Internet to the public, other agencies and organizations.
We continue to keep our mobile communications offerings up to date
with the latest technology. Last year, we added the Apple iPhone, the
RIM 9800 Torch BlackBerry, the RIM 9330 Curve BlackBerry, and the RIM
9650 Bold BlackBerry to the technology catalog. Currently, we are
testing Android devices for support. We will continue to offer the
Senate community the latest smartphone technology in fiscal year 2012.
Following a migration to a new contract vehicle for our wide area
network services in fiscal year 2010, we are better poised to realize
the cost savings for this service compared to our previous contract
with AT&T. Our cost for this service has gone from $5.2 million in
fiscal year 2009 to $4.3 million in fiscal year 2010, and is on target
to cost $3.8 million in fiscal year 2011. Given the election cycle and
the additional moves, adds, and changes associated with incoming and
outgoing Senators, the fiscal year 2011 costs could increase, but
should remain less than fiscal year 2010 levels. We have also increased
our service levels to approximately 50 State office locations and
installed network optimization equipment in more than 90 locations
overall. The cost of wide area network services will increase slightly
in fiscal year 2012, to $4 million to allow us to continue our
investments in enhancing network services to more State office
locations.
We are working with the other legislative branch agencies to
improve interagency communication technology by implementing and
securing an upgraded Capnet network that connects all the legislative
branch agencies, with the goal of making this network the preferred
path for all interagency communication.
In addition to our robust messaging infrastructure that processed
approximately 257 million Internet email messages during the past
calendar year, we also support effective communication through the use
of videoconferencing. During the last and current fiscal years, we have
enhanced our videoconferencing infrastructure to allow participation in
a high-definition video conference from virtually anywhere in the world
using an inexpensive Web camera on a desktop or portable computer via
the Internet. We are adding new capabilities, including a Web interface
to allow an outside participant without a standards-based
videoconferencing system to participate via a Web client, as well as
the ability to escalate a point-to-point call to a multipoint call
regardless of bandwidth or whether the system has multipoint capability
installed.
We also delivered a solution to the problem of transferring large
files which allows media-based and other large files to be moved within
the Senate and between the Senate and others in a secure and reliable
fashion. We continue to expand the ways and tools for staff to be
connected. This year we delivered iPhone and iPad email and tools
integration and support. CIO staff worked extensively with a third-
party software provider to develop a secure, reliable, and manageable
iPhone corporate email client which met our requirements.
We continue to make progress toward modernizing the Senate's entire
telecommunications infrastructure to provide improved reliability and
redundancy in support of daily and emergency operations, and to take
advantage of technological advances to provide a more flexible and
robust infrastructure. Toward that end, we will be replacing systems
such as the cloakroom alerts, operational support and directory and
billing systems over the coming year, while we continue to move forward
with the replacement of the main telephone switch.
Web-based and Customer-focused Business Applications
As in past years, we continue to add functionality to TranSAAct,
which is our platform for moving business online. Based on the business
requirements of offices and the Committee on Rules and Administration,
we continue to develop TranSAAct to eliminate paper-based manual
processes and move them to the Web. Because it is built on an
extensible modern database framework, TranSAAct allows indefinite
expansion as new requirements are identified and fulfilled. This year
we completed enhancements to TranSAAct including online parking
services (e.g., request a parking assignment, reassign vehicles, add
vehicles, etc.) and a forms depot featuring 117 forms and links to
forms often used by administrative managers and chief clerks. We are
completing work on adding the ability to make telecommunications
service requests online.
We look forward over the coming months and years to moving
additional business processes to the Web, delivering increasing
functionality to administrative staff, and reducing the time, paper,
and errors associated with the current manual processes.
We delivered an enterprise class SharePoint data collaboration site
to provide a common access point for sharing information between
offices that do not have direct access to one another. For example,
subcommittee staff and staff in their Senate offices are using the site
to view, comment on, and edit committee documents.
We enhanced other Web-based applications such as a program that
more than 60 offices use on their Web sites for accepting service
academy nomination requests, intern requests, and other types of
applications and requests. Constituents have submitted more than
500,000 individual requests through this system. We also updated the
committee hearing scheduling application to make it more robust and
useful.
Showcasing and Promoting Modern IT in the Senate
We will continue to highlight new technologies in the Information
Technology Demonstration Center through demo days, which have been
well-attended in the past. After products are tested and validated in
our technology assessment laboratory, they are then available for staff
to try in the Demo Center. The demo days feature live demonstrations of
new and emerging technologies.
In order to perform technology assessments, feasibility analysis,
and proof of concept studies, to ensure we are considering technologies
that will directly support the Senate's mission, we continue to improve
the capabilities in our technology assessment laboratory. Technologies
and solutions are vetted and tested here prior to being announced for
pilot, prototype, or mass deployment to the Senate. To ensure we focus
on the most relevant technologies and solutions, the Technology
Advisory Group, consisting of CIO staff and our customers, performs
high-level requirements analysis and prioritizes new technologies and
solutions for consideration for deployment in the Senate. Among the
technologies that we look forward to supporting over the next few
months is support for additional smartphones based on the Android
operating system as well as Smart Cards. Smart Cards will enable a
range of applications based upon Public Key Infrastructure (PKI)
certificates included on the Smart Cards, including access to GSA-
controlled buildings, encryption and decryption of email and BlackBerry
messages, digital signatures for email and vouchers, and log-on
authentication.
We will continue or intensify these efforts in fiscal year 2012 to
ensure that the Senate is always well equipped to perform its
functions. To keep our customers informed of our efforts, we publish
the results of our studies on the emerging technology page of the CIO's
area on Webster.
saa deg.enhancing security for the senate
Enhancing Security With Accessible, Flexible, and Reliable Systems
As I mentioned earlier, we build security, accessibility,
flexibility, and reliability into every system and service. In addition
to those efforts, there are two projects that I would specifically like
to mention.
This past year our, CIO organization enhanced copier security by
moving beyond the traditional safeguards of buying equipment that
writes data to random, noncontiguous hard disk drive locations, to
completely erasing or removing copier hard disk drives prior to
disposal. We also reconfigured our copier baseline configurations to
include hard disk drive overwrite systems that conform to National
Security Agency security specifications without requiring user
intervention. We continued our BlackBerry scanning program designed to
detect security intrusions on wireless devices used during
international travel. In fiscal year 2010 we scanned more than 300
BlackBerrys, some multiple times. Fortunately, we found no major
discrepancies. In fiscal year 2011 and fiscal year 2012 we will
continue to seek ways to improve and enhance our scanning program.
We have also installed the second and third components of the
secure voice conferencing system to provide Secret-level conferencing
to accommodate 40 additional participants once we obtain additional
phone lines as part of our telephone system upgrade. In fiscal year
2012, we plan to upgrade the system with a Web-based interface, making
it more user-friendly.
Enhancing System and Information Resiliency
We continue to test our technology in scenarios in which our
primary infrastructure and primary work locations have become
inaccessible. This includes the simulated loss of our primary data and
network facilities, as well as simulated loss of staff work spaces. All
mission-essential Senate enterprise information systems continue to be
replicated at our ACF, using our upgraded optical network and storage
area network technology. We conduct a variety of exercises to ensure we
are prepared to cope with events ranging from a burst water pipe, to a
pandemic, to an evacuation of Capitol Hill. These exercises demonstrate
our ability to support mission-essential systems under adverse
conditions, and the ability to support substantial numbers of people
working from home. We continue to exercise the ability to support our
Senate customers in the event of an emergency situation which may limit
our ability to arrive at work. This includes weekly and monthly COOP/
pandemic exercises designed to ensure technical support is available
from the ACF and other remote locations. Our diligence to this
initiative proved worthwhile during the snow events of last year. With
the knowledge that the business of the Senate continued and that State
office locations were not affected by the weather in Washington, DC,
our staff continued to support the Senate community remotely throughout
these events. This included answering the phones from home-based
locations, highlighting the capabilities that our migration to IP
telephony may bring to the rest of the Senate.
We also will continue to invest in and modernize storage systems
that automatically replicate information from our primary site to our
alternate site. These storage systems support our mission-critical
systems as well as individual offices.
Securing our Information Infrastructure
As described in previous testimony, active and aggressive
adversaries continue to target Senate information and technology
assets. These adversaries use increasingly sophisticated tools,
techniques, and procedures; rapidly shift their attack methods in
response to new countermeasures; and continually refine their targeting
of Senate information. Our key strategy to meet this threat has been to
improve our coordination with other Federal agencies to share and adopt
current best practices. We have greatly improved and expanded our
relationships with other agencies, due in large part to the outreach
efforts of IT Security staff over the past year. As a result, we are
now better able to quickly adjust our countermeasures as adversaries
shift their tactics. Our efforts and interactions with our Federal
partners are comparable to DOD's evolving doctrine of ``active computer
network defense'', a framework for defending military networks. We are
working to incorporate five key elements of this doctrine into our IT
Security operating model:
--training and equipping SAA staff and contractors with specialized
cyber security skills;
--employing and continuously monitoring a strong core of layered
defenses;
--communicating current threat information to offices and providing
knowledge and expert advice to help them secure their
information;
--sharing current best practices with our Federal agency partners;
and
--investing in rapid development, testing, and implementation of
additional cyber defense capabilities.
We describe each of these elements and provide implementation
examples as follows: As an example of the first element, specialized
skills development, our IT security branch undergoes continual,
rigorous training on newly discovered threats and vulnerabilities.
They attend industry and government conferences, complete online
and classroom courses, host industry experts, conduct in-house classes
and seminars, and share knowledge among their peers on the latest
advances in cyberspace threats and defensive measures. This training
helps us quickly put into operation and benefit from new defensive
technologies. For example, we recently acquired new analysis tools that
enable more precise identification of potential attacks and faster
incident response times. These newly acquired skills were quickly
deployed and put to practical use in our daily operations, producing
demonstrable results and saving taxpayer dollars.
The second element, layered defenses, requires us to develop
multiple capabilities to prevent and detect intrusions at every point
in our network and we have worked this past year to introduce and
encourage widespread adoption of new defensive capabilities. As an
example, our voluntary vulnerability assessment service has grown to
include 43 Member offices and five committees, with more offices
enrolling. The new Systems Management Service (SMS), an automated means
for offices to automatically apply critical security patches to non-
Microsoft software, has also grown rapidly since we introduced it in
December 2010. Fifty-two offices are now using the service, which
provides a significant (up to 68 percent) reduction in software
vulnerability risk as measured by vulnerability assessment results. SMS
serves as an excellent complement to our vulnerability assessment
program and to Windows Server Update Services (WSUS), which
automatically patches Microsoft software. The vulnerability assessment
program, SMS, and WSUS combine well to serve as a ``success enabler''
for offices by giving them the tools they need to continuously assess
and improve their IT security posture.
In addition to our vulnerability assessment and patch management
services, we continue to monitor and improve our other centrally
managed security services. One major initiative is our ongoing effort
to enhance email security by establishing mutual trust mechanisms with
other Federal agencies based on email source validation and encryption
technologies. These trust mechanisms assure us and our participating
Federal partners that messages exchanged are encrypted while traversing
the Internet and are actually coming from an authorized mail server at
each respective agency. As a result, Senate staff can have confidence
that the messages they exchange with one of our trusted partners have
not been read or manipulated by a third party while in transit and have
come from a legitimate contact instead of a malicious actor using a
forged sender address. We expect to continue expanding the number of
agencies involved in this effort.
The third element is reflected in our initiative to provide
improved and varied training and awareness programs for offices. Over
the past year, we have developed and conducted individual threat
briefings for system administrators, office leadership, and other staff
to educate them on the evolving threat environment and recommended
freely available services that we provide to help them reduce their
risk. We have also incorporated current effective practices into our
general awareness materials that we provide through Webster and in-
office presentations. We share our awareness material with other
agencies and adopt useful material they share with us. Furthermore, we
have incorporated an IT security briefing into the new system
administrator training process to inform them of our services and to
help them enroll and make the best use of our offerings soon after they
are hired. Finally, we help system administrators identify critical
systems that our adversaries would consider high-value targets and
facilitate enhanced protection for these systems to assure continuity
of operations.
The fourth element involves sharing new threat information, trends,
and effective practices with other Federal agencies. We do not share
specific information concerning offices or staffs involved, but
coordinate with these agencies to help establish a common information
base and defensive posture. The relationships that we have built, and
continue to build, are mutually beneficial and have paid great
dividends in terms of improved security services for our offices. We
can now provide offices more timely and detailed threat and
vulnerability information, more reliable countermeasures, and more
efficient identification and mitigation of many of our higher-priority
incidents.
The fifth and final element is rapid development, testing, and
implementation of additional cyber defense capabilities. We recently
tested and implemented a new log analysis tool that has reduced the
time required to identify and notify offices of attacks from a matter
of hours to just a matter of minutes. We are also looking forward to
implementing a new monitoring tool in the next few months that will
improve our ability to rate the severity of security incidents, reduce
false positives, and provide offices with better guidance for
recovering from incidents. Finally, we are currently researching
potential solutions that will augment our anti-virus systems by
blocking malicious or compromised Web sites, which are a primary cause
of many of our security incidents.
Adopting the elements of the Department of Defense's Active
Computer Network Defense doctrine helps us work toward our strategic
goal to provide a secure Senate information infrastructure. We will
continue to adopt useful elements of the doctrine to further our
efforts. We are continually changing and improving our tactics and
operational processes to meet the rapidly changing cyber threat
environment while supporting the Senate's mission.
saa deg.enhancing stewardship
Enhancing Stewardship Through Fiscal and Environmental Responsibility
Stewardship of our resources is intertwined in everything we do, as
well as being a driving force for some of our activities. We are always
looking for ways to improve our processes or technologies so that we
save time, money, electricity, paper, or other resources. Our CIO
organization is a good steward of the fiscal resources of the Senate,
consistently and continuously improving on the services offered to our
customers while seeking only modest increases in funding. Many
initiatives save an office hundreds or thousands of dollars in costs
that would otherwise be borne out of their official accounts. As most
of these initiatives save money due to a reduction in the purchase of
some commodity, they also fit in with our efforts toward environmental
stewardship. Some examples of our efforts to enhance fiscal and
environmental stewardship are:
--Continuation of our virtualization efforts, where we now reduce
energy, maintenance, and support costs by running more than 379
of our servers in a virtual environment. We will continue an
aggressive campaign to virtualize servers until every server
that can be virtualized is virtual.
--Offices, especially those of the new Senators, have taken great
advantage of our virtual machine infrastructure that allows us
to centrally host their file and application servers on shared
hardware at our primary and alternate facilities, which greatly
increases server hardware efficiency, and, through system
duplication and data replication, offers enterprise class data
redundancy and recovery in the event of a critical local
failure or crisis. The virtual solution also relieves offices
of considerable noise, excess heat, and increases usable
working areas for staff. It removes the single point of failure
from existing office servers and meets continuity of operations
and data replication requirements for approximately half the
cost of existing solutions. To date we are hosting 86 Member
and committee office file servers on our virtual
infrastructure. Virtual servers running in the data center
consume only 15 percent of the energy of a comparable number of
physical servers. This means a reduction in power consumption
and air conditioning requirements, saving Senate funds, while
enhancing our ability to provide reliable and redundant
services. Fewer servers used by the Senate also means fewer
servers that need to be manufactured and therefore have to be
disposed of at their end of life, which is greening on a
national scale.
--Work is well under way to offer offices the ability to host their
constituent support systems and SharePoint collaboration
systems in a virtual environment, which will provide offices
the opportunity to operate without any physical servers in
their offices.
--We continue to use our catalog to highlight the energy-efficient
aspects of our supported IT and general office equipment, and
we conducted ``green demo days'' where vendors could answer
questions about their products' environmental friendliness.
--We continue our efforts to dispose of surplus electronic equipment
through such programs as Computers for Schools. Last year we
fulfilled 36 Member office requests and packed and shipped 900
surplus computers to eligible public schools. We send other
surplus equipment to the GSA for redistribution or resale.
--We also ensure that the devices we recommend to the Senate meet the
applicable ENERGYSTAR guidelines, and where feasible, the
guidelines for the responsible manufacture of IT equipment.
operations
PGDM
The PGDM branch provides high-level, direct customer support to the
Senate community through photocopying, graphic design, printing,
mailing, archiving, logistics, and security.
During fiscal year 2010, PGDM continued to improve operations and
respond to demand for producing documents from digital files. By
utilizing the latest technology in digital printing, the Publishing
Section produced 7.8 million pages, an increase of 81 percent more than
fiscal year 2009. PGDM continued to meet the demand for Constituent
Services System (CSS) imaging by scanning, digitizing, and
electronically transferring 1.1 million pages of constituent mail
responses during fiscal year 2010. Another area of high demand during
fiscal year 2010 was production of charts. By upgrading software to
process files quicker, PGDM produced 9,273 large format charts, an
increase of 15 percent more than fiscal year 2009.
PGDM is customer-focused and achieved high levels of customer
satisfaction. Reliable, user-friendly copiers in convenient satellite
copy centers produced more than 7.6 million copies in fiscal year 2010.
Utilizing traditional offset and digital printing, PGDM met customer
requests for color printing, producing more than 21.8 million color
pages. Combined printing volumes in all sections of PGDM during fiscal
year 2010 totaled 52.4 million, a 6 percent increase more than fiscal
year 2009. PGDM continued to improve services to meet the demand for
archiving Senate office documents during fiscal year 2010.
Through software and hardware upgrades, PGDM produced 511 rolls of
microfilm, a 156 percent increase more than fiscal year 2009, and
scanned and digitized more than 3.2 million pages, a 10 percent
increase more than fiscal year 2009.
As a good steward of its own resources and that of others, PGDM
saved the Senate more than $1.8 million in postage costs by pre-sorting
9.5 million pieces of outgoing Senate franked mail. New software
systems have been integrated in a number of processes to validate,
correct, or remove bad addresses prior to mailing. In fiscal year 2009,
a system was put in place to validate addresses on constituent letters.
The number of offices utilizing this process has grown from 14 in
fiscal year 2009 to 97 in fiscal year 2010. PGDM has also upgraded
software in the mail-sorting process. By implementing the new United
States Postal Service (USPS) mandated intelligent barcode and moving
updated software ahead of schedule, PGDM has ensured that Senate
offices continue to receive maximum postage discounts. PGDM is
continuing to work with a vendor to modify and test a Web-based
application to provide address correction, validation, and delivery
tracking for shipping of constituent flag requests.
PGDM's commitment to teamwork and excellent customer service
extends to our legislative branch partners as well. Our collaborative
work with the AOC fulfilled 82,828 flag requests during fiscal year
2010, and in tandem with GPO, delivered more than 2 million documents
(Pocket Constitutions, Our Flag, Our American Government, etc.) to
requestors. PGDM has also been working with the AOC to relocate the
PGDM Logistics operations from SR-B31F to the Hart loading dock area.
Construction of the Hart location is planned to be completed this
spring which will allow for structural renovation on the lower level of
the southwest corner of the Russell building. In early fiscal year
2010, PGDM provided a tour of our CSS imaging operation to the White
House Office of Presidential Correspondence staff, which was
considering implementation of a similar operation.
Through effective communication and teamwork, PGDM's Senate Support
Facility upheld the SAA mission for operational security in fiscal year
2010 by receiving 1,045,153 items from the USCP off-site inspection
facility and transferring them to the Senate Support Facility. This
process eliminated 561 truck deliveries to the Capitol complex while
reducing traffic and allowing the USCP to focus on other aspects of
safety.
In fiscal year 2010, the subcommittee approved the use of prior
year unobligated funding to relocate the Postal Square printing and
mailing operations to a modern, efficient, secure, and safe facility.
This relocation will ensure PGDM operations continue without
interruptions in service from facility failures which have plagued the
Postal Square building over the years. In collaboration with the AOC, a
facility located in the same complex as the Senate Support Facility and
the Senate Post Office Inspection Facility was selected and put under
contract. The relocation project has a projected net positive cash flow
of $2.8 million and 3.6 percent return on investment over 20 years.
Design plans have been approved for the build-out of the facility, and
the SAA has contracts in place to support moving equipment and
installing data communications and security systems. Construction
started in January 2011, and PGDM will begin moving equipment in July
2011 and take occupancy in September 2011.
saa deg.central operations
Smart Card Programs--ID Office
The implementation of Homeland Security Presidential Directive
(HSPD) 12--Policy for a Common Identification Standard for Federal
Employees and Contractors will significantly impact Senators and their
staff whose State offices are located in Federal buildings across the
country. While legislative branch adoption of HSPD-12 is optional,
compliance will allow Senators and staff unhindered access to work
freely within these facilities. Staff from the ID Office and Technology
Development Services is currently collaborating with executive branch
counterparts to implement compatible access cards to paid staff within
the 112th Congress.
Although a substantial cost is associated with system architecture,
there are continued efforts to explore advantages of Smart Card
deployment. Sophisticated Smart Card credentials can provide multiple
functions beyond current ``flash pass'' identification badges. While
maintaining proximity technology used in the USCP's current physical
access control system, digital certificates on Smart Cards may in the
future be used for encryption of personally identifiable information
exchanged with executive branch agencies in the processing of
constituent casework. Other future benefits within the Senate community
for digital certificates include digital signatures on financial
documents and secure, single network sign-on.
saa deg.parking operations
The Parking Operations team continues to update policies and
procedures to better serve the Senate community. For the first time,
all Senate parking spaces were defined producing an accurate count of
3,100 spaces (600 spaces greater than previous estimates). Beginning
with the 112th Congress, Parking Operations streamlined policy and
procedures to allow for greater customer understanding:
--the number of permit types was reduced by 17 percent;
--color was used on the parking map to better communicate parking
area definitions; and
--new signage was installed to clearly label parking areas.
Parking Specialists continued to enjoy amplified visibility to
customers as new kiosks were installed on Lots 12 and 16. Increased
Segway use and wearing of reflective vests and gloves have also
increased recognition of the specialists by customers and visitors.
Employee retention has been superb; there has been only one vacancy in
the last 18 months and that was due to a promotion.
saa deg.transportation and fleet operations
Transportation and Fleet Operations safely and securely procures,
manages, maintains, and disposes of SAA vehicles; provides
transportation information to offices; and manages the Senate Parking
Shuttle Service. The SAA fleet includes trucks, vans, buses, and SUVs
used to support the Senate community. Senate leadership vehicles are
leased and administered by Fleet Operations under the Executive Lease
Plan on a biannual basis. Transportation and Fleet Operations is
responsible for completing work orders, equipment installations, tag/
registration renewals, and vehicle inspections for all fleet vehicles,
performing more than 448 of these services in fiscal year 2010. Fleet
staff scheduled more than 350 transportation requests and transported
more than 20,000 passengers through the SAA Parking Shuttle Service in
fiscal year 2010.
Transportation and Fleet Operations offers several driver training
programs including an online software training course developed by the
National Safety Council (NSC), an in-house Professional Truck Driver
Safety Certification Course also developed by NSC using a fleet staff
certified instructor, and Segway Certification Training using fleet
certified instructors.
Transportation and Fleet Operations is a leader in ``Go Green''
initiatives with 25 flex E-85 fuel vehicles, 5 hybrids, 2 electric
vehicles, and 2 Diesel Exhaust Fluid-certified trucks. Fleet Operations
will continue to explore the use of alternative fuel vehicles as
replacements for older vehicles as they are rotated out of the fleet.
saa deg.photography studio
The photography studio provides photography and imaging services
for Senate offices, capturing more than 75,000 photo images and
producing more than 95,000 photo prints in fiscal year 2010. The
studio's popular image archiving service was used to scan, organize,
and transfer more than 80,000 photo images for archiving purposes in
fiscal year 2010. The photo browser application provides Senate offices
a secure location to store and organize photos and the ability to
download and upload photos or place orders for photo prints from their
desktop through a Web interface.
saa deg.senate hair care
Senate hair care serves customers by offering the latest trends in
hair styling to Senators and thousands of customers, including staff
and the general public. In fiscal year 2010, revenue increased by
approximately $40,000 (9 percent), the highest in 10 years. Continuing
to build on the diverse customer base and supplying additional retail
products and services, Senate Hair Care will remain a profitable and
indispensable service offered by the SAA.
saa deg.senate post office
Mail remains a primary medium for constituents to communicate with
Senators and their staff. During 2010, the total volume of mail
addressed to the Senate Washington, DC offices was significant. Our
Senate Post Office received, tested, and delivered 17,710,648 safe
items to Senate offices, including 10,935,830 pieces of USPS mail; more
than 6,234,000 pieces of internal mail routed within the Senate or to
or from other Government agencies; 75,000 packages; and 465,777 courier
items. The total number of mail and packages received and processed in
2010 represented the second largest yearly total this decade, surpassed
only by 2009. Mail received by the Senate has increased substantially
over the past 2 years, bucking the nationwide trend that shows overall
USPS mail volumes declining.
Processing Mail Safely
Protecting the Senate and its staff is my highest priority. We have
worked collaboratively with this subcommittee, the Committee on Rules
and Administration, our science advisors, the USCP, USPS, the White
House Office of Science and Technology Policy, and the Department of
Homeland Security in developing safe and secure mail protocols and in
creating two of the best mail processing facilities of their type in
the world.
All mail and packages addressed to the Senate's Washington, DC
offices are tested and delivered by Senate Post Office employees.
During 2010, our highly trained off-site mail staff intercepted 221
suspicious pieces of mail that were addressed to Senators with the
intent to terrorize and disrupt Senate business. The USCP immediately
responded to these threatening items at our off-site mail processing
facility thereby preventing their delivery to any Senate office.
We also worked with this subcommittee and the Committee on Rules
and Administration to build and operate one of the best facilities
within the Government to process time-sensitive documents that are
delivered to the Senate. Our Congressional Acceptance Site ensures that
all same-day documents are x rayed, opened, tested, and safe for
delivery to Senate offices. The 465,777 items that we processed during
2010 represented the most documents processed at this facility since it
opened in August 2006, which was a 68 percent increase more than 2009's
courier items. We were able to absorb this additional volume through
cross-training our existing staff and by instituting process
improvements rather than increasing our workforce.
The Senate's method for processing mail has become the model for
others. We have been asked to demonstrate our procedures and showcase
our facilities for some of our Nation's allies and for other Government
agencies, including the Departments of Defense and Homeland Security.
The organizations that know the most about mail safety cite our highly
trained staff and the Senate mail facilities as among the most
efficient and secure in existence.
State Office Mail
Additionally, my office has worked collaboratively with our science
advisors to introduce the first device designed to provide Senate staff
who work in State offices with a level of protection when handling
mail. Our science advisors believe that the Postal Sentry, if used
properly, provides the best level of protection to State offices and
their staff should they receive mail containing a potentially harmful
substance. I have requested that all Senate State staff utilize the
Postal Sentry mail processing system whenever mail is opened in their
offices. All newly elected Senators' State offices have been equipped
with the Postal Sentry and many other Senators have opted for the
device as well. Currently, 238 State offices have the Postal Sentry, up
from 66 State offices at the end of 2009. The Senate took the lead in
providing State offices with a level of protection when handling mail.
Recently, the House of Representatives ordered several Postal Sentrys
for use in their district offices.
Improving Services Offered
My office strives to provide exemplary service to the Senate
community. Our Senate Post Office, in conjunction with the USPS,
operates contract retail locations in the Dirksen and Russell Senate
Office Buildings. To the frustration of many, patrons in past years
have been unable to purchase postage stamps, Express and Priority mail
postage, mail supplies, insurance, and money orders with the
convenience of a credit or debit card, only with cash. After lengthy
negotiations with the USPS, I was pleased to announce in February of
this year that as an added convenience for our customers, the Senate
Post Office accepts credit and debit cards. Feedback from our customers
has been extremely positive with the new and additional service.
A Cost-effective Operation
Even with the expansion of our capabilities, outreach efforts and
the significant increases in mail volume, my office continues to be
good stewards of taxpayer dollars. Technology and process improvements
made since 2008 have enabled the Senate Post Office to reduce the
number of its employees by 6 percent. Their achievement is even more
impressive when you consider that the number of mail items received,
tested, and safely delivered has increased by more than 25 percent
annually during that same time period. We have compared our costs to
other agencies and are pleased to report that we have one of the most
efficient and cost-effective operations of its type. Some agencies with
similar processes and mail volume spend millions more than the Senate
in processing mail. A comparative analysis of similar organizations
that contract out mail processing has determined that the Senate
processes its mail for up to 62 percent less cost than others.
saa deg.capitol facilities
SAA Capitol Facilities serves the Senate community by providing a
clean and professional work environment through its Environmental
Services branch. This branch cleans Capitol spaces, moves Capitol
furniture, provides special event setups in the Capitol--including the
10 event spaces in the CVC Senate expansion space--and completes other
service requests. To meet cyclical customer demands during peak event
setups and furniture moves, Capitol Facilities was able to improve
labor cost efficiency by supplementing the full-time work force with
contracted labor in place of additional FTEs. This resulted in a
second-year cost savings of $150,000. Capitol Facilities completed
3,127 special event setups in the CVC Senate expansion space and
Capitol, a 24 percent increase from the previous year. Service requests
from Capitol offices for moving furniture and supplies totaled 6,622,
an increase of 11 percent more than the previous year.
The Furnishings branch provides framing services to all Senators
and committees. Demand for framing services increased by 6 percent more
than the previous year with a total of 2,764 orders completed. The
branch also provides custom cabinets and other high-quality furniture,
carpeting, and draperies to Capitol offices. The Cabinet Shop designed,
built, and installed 177 pieces of furniture, a 43 percent increase
from the previous year. The Furnishings branch worked with the
Committee on Appropriations on design and installation of custom
carpet, construction of turrets for a new sound system, and
installation of custom-built benches around the perimeter of the
committee room (S-127). New furniture, draperies, and upholstery were
provided for the Committee on Foreign Relations room and office (S-116/
117), the Vice President's office (S-212), and the Republican
Secretary's office (S-335). Additionally, 20 new Senate Chamber chairs
were built for incoming Senators.
saa deg.cvc
My office has been involved with the CVC since its inception. We
have worked collaboratively with others, including representatives of
this subcommittee, to ensure that many of the operational aspects of
the facility achieve desired results. Our participation and the
challenges presented have been vast and varied, including, but not
limited to, security, hours of operation, transitioning the Capitol
Guide Service, emergency preparedness, IT, furnishings for the Senate
side of the CVC, Senate meeting rooms setup and maintenance, bus
routes, Capitol tour routes, coat checks, official appointments,
accommodating visitors to the Senate Gallery, broadcast media
infrastructure, ATM service, telephone service, and other
communications infrastructure. I am pleased to report that all of the
SAA departments involved with the CVC completed all of our tasks on
time and within budget.
More than 5 million visitors have experienced the CVC since its
opening a little more than 2 years ago. Feedback from our guests has
been extremely positive. The long lines of visitors waiting in the
elements that were prevalent prior to the CVC's opening have been
eliminated, as are the congested hallways in the Capitol. Visitor
services professionals from across the country and around the world
view the CVC, and its operation, as models of excellence in the visitor
services arena.
Each of our departments affected by the CVC adjusted its processes,
thereby mitigating additional employees and costs when this magnificent
addition to the Capitol opened. The impacts to their operations were
significant, yet, by maximizing resources, we were able to achieve
desired results.
saa deg.senate appointment desks
Expanding and Improving our Services
An objective of the CVC was to improve security and the flow of
visitors to the Capitol. To facilitate this goal, we expanded the
Senate Appointment Desks 100 percent by adding two desks in the CVC,
one located near the main entrance and the other located outside of the
Senate Meeting Rooms on the lower level. These two desks required four
additional FTEs to staff the desks. Improved technology and process
improvements achieved by the Senate Post Office enabled the transfer of
four employees from the Senate Post Office to the Senate Appointment
Desks in the CVC. This is another example where my office exercised
fiscal responsibility by finding resources within our organization
rather than increasing costs by adding to the complement of employees
assigned to the SAA organization.
To enhance our services to the Senate community, we were tasked
with opening a Hart Senate Appointment Desk in May 2010. Again SAA
staff accomplished this task with minimal expense and without adding
employees. We restructured the duties of our existing appointment desk
team and those of our Doorkeeper team, thereby freeing up the labor
needed to support an appointment desk located in the Hart Senate Office
Building. We worked collaboratively with the Committee on Rules and
Administration, USCP, and the AOC in designing a secure and welcoming
process for staff who escort Senate guests to the Capitol from the Hart
Senate Office Building.
Our five Senate Appointment Desks collectively processed 163,811
guests during 2010. The total number of badges issued was the second
highest in a given year since the appointment desks were created more
than 26 years ago.
A goal for opening the CVC was to improve security by reducing the
number of guests who enter through the Capitol's north door. Last year
47,956 guests entered the Capitol through the CVC with its state-of-
the-art security features and accommodations. Without the CVC, these
guests would have entered through the north door of the Capitol,
waiting in line and bearing the elements. The Capitol Appointment Desk
reduced its number of guests processed through the north door to 37,577
during 2010. The 2010 total number of visitors processed through the
North Door represented a 40 percent reduction in the number of guests
processed as compared to the year before the CVC opened. This reduction
of guests in the Capitol improved safety, reduced wait time for
entrance through the north door of the Capitol, improved visitor flow,
and reduced congestion within the Capitol proper.
Also in 2010, more than 72,000 guests entered the Capitol via the
Russell Appointment Desk, including 60,550 who were destined for the
CVC. This represented the most badges issued by the Russell Appointment
Desk in its history.
saa deg.doorkeepers
Facilitating the Needs of the Senate
Our Doorkeepers play an important role in supporting the Senate.
This group of dedicated professionals remains on call to assist the
Senate when needed. A primary role of our Doorkeepers is to support the
Senate Chamber by providing access to those with Senate Floor
privileges and enforcing the rules of the Senate. Additionally, our
Doorkeeper team facilitates the needs of Senators, Senate Floor staff,
and pages.
The past 4 years have been extraordinary in that the Senate has
been in session an average of 181 days from 2007 through 2010. This
represents a 21 percent increase to the 150 average numbers of days the
Senate was in session from 1996 through 2006.
Our Doorkeepers provided exceptional support for special events
during 2010, including the swearing-in of Senators elected during 2010
and the re-enactment that followed in the Old Senate Chamber; Senator
Byrd's laying in repose in the Senate Chamber; the confirmation of
Supreme Court Justice Kagan; and the impeachment trials of Samuel B.
Kent and G. Thomas Porteous.
Our Doorkeepers facilitate the movement and seating of Senators
during joint sessions of the Congress conducted in the House of
Representatives. During 2010 there were two joint sessions:
--the President's State of the Union Address; and
--the Joint meeting of the Congress with the President of Mexico.
Congressional tributes and Congressional Gold Medal ceremonies also
require the services of Doorkeepers. In the past year, Doorkeepers
facilitated Senators and guests for the 50th Anniversary of the
Inaugural Address of President John F. Kennedy; Days of Remembrance;
moment of silence in the Senate Galleries and on the House of
Representatives steps in honor of the victims of the tragedy in Tucson,
Arizona; Celebration of the Life of Congressman John Murtha;
recognition of contributions of enslaved African Americans to the
construction of the United States Capitol; September 11 Congressional
Remembrance Ceremony; Peace Officers Memorial Day; and Women Service
Pilots Congressional Gold Medal ceremony.
Improving the Senate Gallery Visitor Experience
We improved the visitor experience for those who want to witness
Senate proceedings from the Gallery. We now process these guests
through the CVC, rather than through the Capitol's north door. This
process enhancement improved security, as well as the visitor
experience, by eliminating the long lines and congestion that had been
commonplace throughout the Capitol prior to the opening of the CVC. Our
Senate Doorkeepers manage a staging room in the CVC that facilitates
the collection of prohibited items and the movement of people in a
secure and efficient manner. The staging room and the surrounding areas
offer our guests numerous comforts and educational opportunities.
Last year, 224,925 visitors viewed the Senate Chamber from the
Senate Gallery. 2010 represented the first full year since 2000 that
the Senate Gallery was open for visitors during scheduled Senate
recesses. We reopened the Senate Gallery during scheduled recesses
beginning with the August 2009 recess and, since then, more than 90,000
visitors have viewed the Senate Chamber from the Senate Gallery.
Reopening the Gallery has provided an opportunity for thousands, who
under the previous rule would not have enjoyed the opportunity to see
the ``world's greatest deliberative body.'' Our Gallery remains open
during scheduled recesses for 2011.
The feedback that we have received from Senate Gallery visitors has
been extremely positive. Senate Gallery visitors have complimented our
processes, including the elimination of long lines, waiting in the
elements, the speed of gaining access to the Gallery and the
educational opportunities afforded by the CVC.
Leveraging Existing Resources
The year 2010 proved to be one of the busiest and demanding in the
history of the Senate Doorkeepers. Our Doorkeepers' work is yet another
example where our process improvements and solid management principles
have enabled us to do more with existing resources. Our Doorkeepers
were able to make significant improvements with minimal expense and
without additional employees.
Despite the increases in workload--the 21 percent increase in the
average number of days the Senate has been in session for the past 4
years, the 70 percent increase in the footprint covered by Doorkeeper
staff due to the opening of the CVC, and the increased number of
special events and ceremonies requiring Doorkeeper support--we were
able to improve our performance by utilizing existing resources,
redefining our work processes, and refining our Doorkeepers' job
descriptions.
saa deg.senate recording studio
Expanded Broadcast Capability
Our Senate Recording Studio was one of the first departments to
move into the CVC. Our facility has received accolades from guests
since its opening, including Senate leadership, Senators, and Senate
staff. The convenience of the studio's location and proximity to the
Senate Floor and Senate subway system provides convenience to Senators
and staff.
The studio is responsible for providing gavel-to-gavel coverage of
Senate floor proceedings, broadcasting Senate committee hearings, and
providing radio and television production studios and equipment for
Senators' use. In 2010 represented another busy year for the recording
studio. Last year, we provided 1,078 hours of gavel-to-gavel coverage
of Senate Floor proceedings. We provided broadcast coverage of 723
Senate committee hearings and 1,074 radio productions. Additionally,
our team of seasoned professionals produced 1,066 shows for Senators
from our television studios.
The number of studio productions increased by 5 percent due largely
to our Recording Studio producing the Democratic Media Center and
Republican Conference shows while their respective studios were being
renovated.
Groundbreaking Firsts
This past year our recording studio broke new ground when we
provided the land-based production and engineering support for an
Appropriations Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies
Subcommittee hearing which included a live videoconference with
astronauts aboard the International Space Station.
Another first for our recording studio was the Internet simulcast
of a Senate Washington, DC event to all Senate staff who wanted to
participate, including State office personnel. In the aftermath of the
Tucson shooting tragedy, my office conducted a security briefing to
provide an interactive forum for all participants and attendees. This
capability facilitated our ability to answer questions and provide
updated information to Member offices throughout the United States.
Committee Hearing Room Upgrade Project
Demand for additional committee broadcasts has been ever
increasing. In 2003, we began working with this subcommittee and the
Committee on Rules and Administration to upgrade and install multimedia
equipment in Senate committee rooms. The project includes digital
signal processing audio systems and broadcast-quality robotic camera
systems. The Committee Hearing Room Upgrade Project continued during
2010.
To date, we have completed 30 rooms. Room enhancements include
improved speech intelligibility and software-based systems that we can
configure based on individual committee needs. The system is networked,
which gives committee staff the ability to easily and automatically
route audio from one hearing room to another when there are overflow
crowds. Additionally, the system's backup will take over quickly if the
primary electronics fail.
Reducing Costs by Leveraging Technology
As part of the upgrades, we installed technologies in our new
Recording Studio space in the CVC to enhance our ability to provide
broadcast coverage of more hearings simultaneously without adding
staff. For example, the Committee Hearing Room Upgrade Project allows
us to cover a hearing with only one employee. Before the upgrades,
three employees were required to adequately cover a single hearing.
These technology enhancements, coupled with the expansion of the number
of control rooms for committee broadcasts to 12, have enabled us to
increase our simultaneous broadcast coverage of committee hearings from
5 to as many as 12 without increasing our staff.
Our Senate Recording Studio is another shining example of where we
have enhanced our services and increased our productivity by utilizing
process improvements and technology, rather than increasing our staff.
saa deg.media galleries
The four Senate Media Galleries comprise the Senate Daily Press
Gallery:
--the Senate Periodical Press Gallery;
--the Press Photographers' Gallery; and
--the Senate Radio and Television Gallery.
The unique structure of the four Media Galleries requires them to
work closely with their respective Standing and Executive
Correspondent's Committees, the Senate SAA, the USCP, and the Senate
Committee on Rules and Administration in order to facilitate media
arrangements and credentials for the more than 7,000 credentialed media
who cover Senators, Senate committees, and related media events.
In recent years the media industry has seen historic shifts in
formats and structures of media outlets which appear to have caused a
general decline in revenue and circulation for traditional media.
However, the Media Galleries have seen a burgeoning population of new
and emerging media. The staff of the Media Galleries has diligently
worked to accommodate this new population through the current
credentialing process.
The growth of 24-hour news channels and Web sites has increased the
demand for constant news. As a result, the Congress is being covered in
more detail than ever before. In response to the changing needs of the
reporters covering Capitol Hill, all four Media Galleries worked with
the office of the SAA Chief Information Officer to upgrade their
technical infrastructure including incorporating wi-fi in all four
Media Galleries.
Senate Daily Press Gallery
During 2009, a complete remodeling and rewiring of the Daily Press
Gallery was completed. This was the first such renovation since the
early 1980s. Restoring the suite of rooms that has been occupied by the
press since before the Civil War was a mammoth undertaking that
involved a number of SAA and AOC offices. Furniture was replaced, wires
were completely redone, and the walls, ornate ceilings, Minton-tiled
floors, and historic mirrors were completely restored down to the
smallest detail. The renovation improved the gallery's appearance and
working conditions for reporters.
The past 2 years have been extraordinarily busy for the Daily Press
Gallery. There are more reporters covering the Senate on a daily basis
than ever. Organizations are covering the Senate in more detail than
ever, with a constant demand for new information. As a result, our
gallery is one of the busiest places in the Capitol complex. This year,
the gallery was constantly filled with reporters covering issues.
Our Daily Press Gallery staff keeps busy providing the swelling
ranks of reporters with background information; monitoring Senate floor
activities and schedule changes; preparing for big events and
ceremonies; researching and assessing the flood of new credential
applicants in conjunction with the Standing Committee of
Correspondents; monitoring and assisting with access on the Capitol's
second floor and other places where news is breaking; facilitating
coverage of major hearings, answering press inquiries on legislation,
floor action, parliamentary procedure; and generally assisting the
press in covering the Congress, and assisting Senators and staff in
making information available to the public.
In addition to those basic duties, we implemented a new paperless
credentialing system, updated continuity of operations and emergency
preparedness plans, and put the finishing touches on a very successful
Gallery renovation.
Senate Periodical Press Gallery
While high-profile hearings garner the most attention by staff and
media, the Senate periodical staff always strives to work with all
Senate committees on their media arrangements for typical hearings and
events. Senate Periodical Press Gallery staff worked with new committee
and Senators' press secretaries in order to familiarize them with the
Periodical Gallery's functions at committee hearings. Constant
collaboration occurs allowing various Senate committees to set up media
arrangements for a number of widely viewed hearings, including
confirmation hearings for all Presidential nominations, Senate budget
consideration, and Senate Appropriations Committee events.
Press Photographers' Gallery
The primary role of the Press Photographers Gallery is to
credential photographers and to assist at news events at the Senate.
Our staff also has the unique responsibility of assisting at-large news
events and hearings in the House of Representatives.
The demand for news images has increased as Web publications expand
and gain popularity. Also, deadlines for pictures have shifted from
daily to immediate as organizations and publications strive to have the
latest pictures available for online publications. These radical
changes in how events are captured have increased the number of
photographers covering Capitol Hill on a daily basis. The Press
Photographers' Gallery has responded to these challenges by enhancing
the technology infrastructure for gallery members.
Senate Radio and Television Gallery
In an effort to address new requirements for electronic media
coverage of Senate events, improvements were made in upgrading the
technical infrastructure of Senate committee hearing rooms and other
news event locations throughout the Senate campus. For example, in a
collaborative effort with the Senate Committee on Rules and
Administration, gallery staff oversaw the installation of fiber optic
cable in 14 Senate committee rooms. Several meeting rooms in the
Capitol and the Senate wing of the CVC were also outfitted with fiber
optic cable.
In 2009, the backdrop in the Senate Radio-TV Gallery studio was
renovated to accommodate high-definition news broadcasts. The improved
backdrop enhances Senators' appearance by incorporating several
enriching elements such as columns and LED lighting.
We improved this Gallery's work areas during the past year as well.
The Radio-Television Gallery staff worked collaboratively with the
Senate Committee on Rules and Administration, AOC, and media
representatives to upgrade media connectivity in the Russell Rotunda
media area. This team also led the efforts to completely renovate the
Radio-Television Gallery mezzanine workspace which included modern
workstations and updated infrastructure.
saa deg.senate office of education and training
The Senate Office of Education and Training provides training and
development opportunities for Senate staff in Washington, DC and the
States. There are two branches within the office:
--the Education and Training branch; and
--the Health Promotion branch.
The Education and Training branch provides training opportunities
for all Senate staff in areas including management and leadership
development, human resources issues and staff benefits, legislative and
staff information, new staff and intern information, and training
support for approved software packages and equipment used in
Washington, DC and State offices. This branch also coordinates and
provides major training events for State and DC staff.
Training and education is provided through instructor-led classes;
one-on-one coaching sessions; specialized vendor provided training;
Internet and computer-based training; webinars; video teleconferencing;
informal training and support services; documentation, job aides and
quickcards.
The Health Promotion branch provides seminars, classes and
screenings on health and wellness issues. This branch also coordinates
an annual Health Fair for all Senate employees and plans blood drives
every year.
Capitol Hill Training
The Office of Education and Training offered 1,278 classes and
events in 2010, drawing more than 10,000 participants. This office's
registration desk handled more than 25,000 email and phone requests for
training and documentation.
The above total includes 438 customized training sessions for 1,937
staff members. These sessions ranged from in-depth training of Senate
office system administrators to conflict resolution and organizational
development. We provide individual consultation on Web site development
and office systems training. We provided resume and interviewing skills
building after the deaths and retirements of numerous Senators.
The Senate's Intern Program is also a focus of the office. We
provide training for intern coordinators as well as five orientation
and training sessions for approximately 500 interns.
Annually, we provide a Senate Services Expo for Senate office
staff. This year we had 35 presenters from the offices of the Secretary
of the Senate, SAA, AOC, USCP, and the Library of Congress providing an
overview of their services to 250 staff. This is part of the
orientation for new staff and the aides to the Senators-elect. This
past November we held seven orientation sessions which were attended by
30 aides.
State Office Training
The Office of Education and Training provided 85 learning
opportunities to State offices for which 2,813 State staff registered.
Our office continues to offer the State Training Fair Program and video
teleconferencing and webinars as a means to train State staff. In 2010,
two sessions of the State Training Fairs were attended by 63 State
staff. We also conducted the State Directors Forum, which was attended
by 62 State administrative managers and directors and a Constituent
Services Forum attended by 43 State staff. We also provided advanced
all staff meeting facilitation to more than 20 offices that were
attended by more than 650 staff. Additionally, the office offered 33
video teleconferencing classes, for which 1,707 State staff registered
and we offered 28 webinars that were attended by 288.
We provide sources of Internet-based training covering technical,
professional and language skills. This allows staff in both DC and
State offices to take training at their convenience. To date, 692 DC
and State staff have registered and accessed 1,534 different lessons
and publications using this training option. Education and Training
also provides 54 Senate-specific self-paced lessons that have been
accessed more than 3,200 times.
Health Promotion
In the Health Promotion area, 3,070 staff participated in 56 health
promotion activities throughout the year. These activities included
lung function and kidney screenings, eight blood drives, the Health and
Fitness Day and seminars on health-related topics and the Annual Senate
Health Fair. We also coordinate Weight Watchers, Yoga, and Pilates
sessions using the revolving fund for health promotion. There were 11
sessions that had 266 attendees.
saa deg.employee assistance program (eap)
Our EAP offered a variety of services to staff, Pages, interns, and
family members. In 2010, 3.8 percent of Senate employees and/or their
family members met with/spoke to an EAP counselor, 187 employees took a
mental health on-line screening, 2,614 employees attended an EAP
training activity, and 1,416 employees accessed resources for
personalized information and referrals for childcare and parenting,
adult care and aging, education, legal, and financial concerns.
The EAP expanded outreach programs through updating materials on a
wide variety of mental health topics; providing an interactive and
informative Web page that includes confidential mental health
screenings, an increased number of self-paced training modules and
access to mental health, management and trauma response resources; and
offering a variety of time- and community-sensitive training programs,
including video teleconferencing training programs for State offices.
The EAP continued to hone, expand, and utilize the skills of the 29
members of the Senate Peer Support Team through a series of
presentations, trainings, and informational lectures.
saa deg.appendix--fiscal year 2012 budget request
FINANCIAL PLAN FOR FISCAL YEAR 2012
Office of the Sergeant at Arms--United States Senate
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
[Dollars in thousands]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fiscal year 2012 vs. fiscal
year 2011
Fiscal year Fiscal year -------------------------------
2011 budget 2012 request Increase/
Amount decrease
(percentage)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
General operations and maintenance:
Salaries.................................... $76,846 $77,588 $742 +1.0
Expenses.................................... 86,067 84,429 (1,638) -1.9
---------------------------------------------------------------
Total, general operations and maintenance. 162,913 162,017 (896) -0.5
===============================================================
Mandated allowances and allotments.............. 50,174 49,663 (511) -1.0
Capital investment.............................. 700 684 (16) -2.3
Nondiscretionary items.......................... 5,175 6,812 1,637 +31.6
---------------------------------------------------------------
Total..................................... 218,962 219,176 214 +0.1
===============================================================
Staffing 956 956 .............. ..............
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
To ensure that we provide the highest levels and quality of
security, support services, and equipment, we submit a fiscal year 2012
budget request of $219,176,000, an increase of $214,000 or 0.1 percent
compared to fiscal year 2011. The salary budget request is $77,588,000,
an increase of $742,000 or 1 percent, and the expense budget request is
$141,588,000, a decrease of $528,000 or 0.4 percent. The staffing
request remains flat at 956.
We present our budget in four categories:
--general operations and maintenance (salaries and expenses);
--mandated allowances and allotments;
--capital investment; and
--nondiscretionary items.
The general operations and maintenance salaries budget request is
$77,588,000, an increase of $742,000 or 1 percent compared to fiscal
year 2011. The salary budget increase is due to merit funding and other
adjustments.
The general operations and maintenance expenses budget request for
existing and new services is $84,429,000, a decrease of $1,638,000 or
1.9 percent compared to fiscal year 2011.
The mandated allowances and allotments budget request is
$49,663,000, a decrease of $511,000 or 1 percent compared to fiscal
year 2011. This budget supports State office rents, $18,815,000;
purchase of computer and office equipment, $13,894,000; voice and data
communications for Washington, DC and State offices, $12,301,000;
procurement and maintenance of office equipment for Member office
constituent services systems, $4,500,000; State office security
enhancements, $1,913,000; and wireless services and equipment,
$1,500,000.
The capital investment budget request is $684,000, a decrease of
$16,000 or 2.3 percent compared to fiscal year 2011. The fiscal year
2012 budget request includes funds for the Senate Chamber remote
broadcast system replacement, $484,000; and data networking initiatives
and expansions, $200,000.
The nondiscretionary items budget request is $6,812,000, an
increase of $1,637,000 or 31.6 percent compared to fiscal year 2011.
The request funds projects that support the Secretary of the Senate:
contract maintenance for the Financial Management Information System,
$3,770,000; support for the payroll system, $2,182,000; and maintenance
and necessary enhancements to the Legislative Information System,
$860,000.
Senator Nelson. Thank you.
Chief Morse.
UNITED STATES CAPITOL POLICE
STATEMENT OF PHILLIP D. MORSE, SR., CHIEF
Chief Morse. Thank you, Chairman Nelson, Ranking Member
Hoeven, and members of the subcommittee. I'm honored to be here
today, and I appreciate the opportunity to present the USCP
budget for fiscal year 2012.
I would like to request that my written testimony be
entered into the record.
Senator Nelson. It will be entered.
Chief Morse. I would also like to thank the subcommittee
for its sustained and unwavering support for the men and women
of the USCP. Specifically, I would like to express our
appreciation to the subcommittee, and the Congress, for
providing the necessary salaries and general expenses funding
for 2011 to support our personnel and operations.
As I begin my testimony, I would like to emphasize that my
management team and I are keenly aware of the economic
situation our Nation faces today. I understand the
responsibility I have to submit a budget request that is not
only accurate, but is reasonable and based on the critical
requirements necessary to mitigate and address threats and
risks. The department's fiscal year 2012 budget request, after
adjusting the fiscal year 2011 appropriated levels, totals $380
million, and represents an overall increase of 12 percent. The
department's fiscal year 2012 personnel request reflects our
continuous efforts, at all levels of management, to effectively
manage our existing resources to achieve the best possible
balance of staff-to-mission requirements.
With that in mind, our requested fiscal year 2012 personnel
costs support the current authorized staffing levels of 2,243
positions, as well as a request for three new civilian
positions for the Office of Inspector General (IG). We're
requesting an overall increase of 8 percent more than the
fiscal year 2011 enacted funding level, with rescission.
We have been very strategic in our hiring of civilian
positions to best align our resources to our needs. In
particular, we identified, through a position review, 22
existent vacant civilian positions for repurposing to meet our
additional mission requirements, such as the 9 sworn officers
needed for the security of the new Federal Office Building 8
(FOB8) and 13 civilian dispatcher positions needed for the
radio project and mirror site requirements; at current staffing
levels, the department's fiscal year 2012 overtime projection
of approximately $36,500,000, to include support for the fiscal
year 2012 political conventions and pre-Inauguration security
planning, along with support for Library of Congress (LOC)
nonreimbursable events, and overtime necessary to secure
multiyear projects, to include the Capitol Dome skirt and the
utility tunnel projects.
The second area of detail is an overall net increase in our
requested general expenses budget, which is an overall increase
of 29 percent more than the fiscal year 2011 funding levels.
The majority of the increase is attributed to the new
initiatives to address identified threats and risks and for
support of the 2012 political conventions and Presidential
Inauguration planning. The increase in the request, just for
normal annual needs of the Department, excluding the new
initiatives and convention pre-Inauguration support, is about 5
percent.
The seven new initiatives included in our request address
security and law enforcement services for FOB8; security
enhancements for the alternate computer facility; security
designs for utility tunnel systems; design and installation of
security programs for the Capitol Dome skirt rehabilitation;
design and installation of security management systems within
the House and Senate parking garages; software upgrades for the
Department's fixed-asset management; and departmentwide travel
management systems. The total funding request for these
initiatives is $11.8 million.
With the direct assistance of the USCP Board, we provided
advisors to assess financial management risk and to provide
recommended improvements, as well as the oversight
recommendations of the USCP IG. We have the foundation for
sound fiscal practices, to include sound budget formulation
that we are actively implementing and will continuously seek to
improve.
In particular, I'm pleased to report that we recently
closed all eight audit findings related to the U.S. IG's audit
of the Department's budget formulation process. Further, we're
working on the resolution of a number of other recommendations
in order to achieve efficiency and effectiveness in our
administrative programs. The long-term resolution of the
recommendations related to internal controls, business
processes, and material weaknesses remain the highest
importance to our management team.
PREPARED STATEMENT
Finally, I'd like to thank all the men and women of the
USCP, both sworn and civilian, for their dedicated service and
their sacrifice to keep us all safe this past year.
I appreciate the opportunity, today, that you've given me.
And I'd be happy to answer any questions that you may have.
[The statement follows:]
Prepared Statement of Phillip D. Morse, Sr.
Chairman Nelson, Ranking Member Hoeven and members of the
subcommittee, I am honored to be here today, and I appreciate the
opportunity to present the United States Capitol Police (USCP) budget
request for fiscal year 2012.
First, I would like to thank the subcommittee for its sustained and
unwavering support for the men and women of the USCP. You and your
staffs have continued to generously support both our mission as well as
our personnel--not just in a monetary way, but also in private and
public recognition of our role and responsibilities. The security and
protection of this great institution is not only our job, but we
consider it a sacred duty and privilege to serve you, the congressional
staff, and the millions of visitors from every corner of the world who
come to the United States Capitol Complex every year. Due in large part
to your support and that of the Capitol Police Board, the Department
has had many successes in its continued efforts to become a premier
security and law enforcement agency operating under established
controls and efficiencies.
Specifically, I would like to express our appreciation to the
subcommittee and the Congress for providing the necessary salaries and
general expenses funding for fiscal year 2011 to support our personnel
and operations.
This fiscal year 2011 appropriation level has allowed the
Department to address critical salaries requirements, as well as Radio
Modernization Project (RMP) needs, in fiscal year 2011, which thus
results in a reduction of those items from our fiscal year 2012 budget
request.
As I begin my testimony, I would like to emphasize that my
management team and I are keenly aware of the economic situation our
Nation faces today. I understand the responsibility I have to submit a
budget request that is not only accurate, but that is reasonable, based
on only critical requirements necessary to mitigate and address threats
and risks. Our fiscal year adjusted 2012 budget request provides for
those mission-critical requirements necessary for the Department to
address the security of the Congress, so that it may conduct it's
constitutional responsibilities in an open and safe manner without
disruption from crime or terrorism.
Our mission-focused request is grounded in the USCP strategic goals
that describe our mission and frame our budget planning:
--assessing the threat to the Capitol community;
--taking proactive measures to mitigate the threat so as to prevent
disruption to the legislative process;
--responding in the event of a disruption so that the Congress can
continue to operate; and
--supporting the USCP's mission through constructive internal
business processes and controls that foster effective and
efficient mission delivery.
This budget is strong in support of those goals--with modest
increases and initiatives to address identified risks and threats--yet
it is flexible enough to achieve and maintain solid mission-critical
results with efficient use of resources.
The proposed fiscal year 2012 budget will address and mitigate
identified security challenges that may potentially affect the safety
of the Capitol Complex and our ability to keep up with the changing
security environment and threat level. In addition, it contains
requests for a few new initiatives that provide additional security for
the Capitol Complex and it provides administrative systems to mitigate
audit risks and findings.
The Department's funding levels have grown in recent years, due to
requirements set forth to support an expanding mission load. In the
last several years, we have merged with the Library of Congress (LOC)
police while absorbing the jurisdiction over LOC buildings and grounds,
and upon the opening of the Capitol Visitor Center; we assumed
additional protection responsibilities for the security operations of
this critical addition to the Capitol. We will also be gaining an
additional protective responsibility with the opening of the Federal
Office Building 8 (FOB8) scheduled to reopen in fiscal year 2012. An
additional fiscal dynamic we are managing is our implementation of a
complex RMP.
At this time, I would like to offer the subcommittee an overarching
summary of our fiscal year 2012 request. I will follow this summary
with a discussion of specific budget items of particular significance
to you and the Department.
The Department's fiscal year 2012 request totals $380 million and
represents an overall increase of 12 percent, or $40 million more than
the fiscal year 2011 enacted level with a rescission funding level of
$340 million.
The first subject area that I would like to provide more detail for
is in the area of personnel salaries and overtime.
The Department's fiscal year 2012 personnel request reflects our
continuous efforts at all levels of management to effectively manage
our existing resources to achieve the best possible balance of staff-
to-mission requirements. We are constantly analyzing our workforce to
align job functions, assignments, workload, risk management, and
organizational readiness along with the ever-changing threat
assessments and mandatory mission requirements of a dynamic
Congressional community.
To operate within our current budget, we are currently carrying out
our mission requirements with 1,775 of our 1,800 sworn positions, below
our authorized 443 civilian positions, and with only limited training.
We have received funding in fiscal year 2011 to increase our sworn
levels to 1,800 at the end of the fiscal year, and to bring on an
additional 13 civilians as well, but this partial year funding for
these positions will need to be annualized in fiscal year 2012 in order
to maintain this staffing strength. Much of our overall increase allows
the Department to operate at our current authorized staffing levels.
With regard to our funding request related to personnel, we are
requesting an overall increase of 8 percent more than the fiscal year
2011 enacted funding levels with rescission, which includes funding for
only three new civilian positions for the Office of the Inspector
General (OIG). The increase in 9 new sworn positions to address the
additional operational requirements for FOB8 is offset by a net
reduction of 9 civilian positions from within the Department current
authorized strength of 443.
Additionally, we have been very strategic in the hiring of civilian
positions to best align our resources to our needs. In particular, we
identified 22 existing vacant civilian positions based on a position
review for repurposing to meet additional mission requirements such as,
the 9 sworn officers needed for the security of the new FOB8 and 13
civilian dispatcher positions needed for the RMP mirror site
requirements.
The Department's current authorized sworn strength does not
entirely provide the necessary resources to meet all our mission
requirements within the established sworn officer utility or the number
of work-hours in a year that each officer is available to perform work.
This ``utility'' number is used to determine overall staffing
requirements, and balances the utility of available staff with annual
salary and overtime funding along with known mission requirements such
as postcoverage, projected unscheduled events such as demonstrations,
late sessions, holiday concerts, et cetera, and unfunded requirements
that occur after the budget is enacted, such as unforeseen critical
emergency situations.
Thus, mission requirements in excess of available personnel must be
addressed through the use of overtime, identification of efficiencies
such as postrealignment and/or reductions, technology, and cutbacks
within the utility, such as reductions in the number of hours provided
for training. As a result, our oversight committees are reviewing such
options to offset mission requirements where possible, such as closing
lower-priority doors, which will reduce the total hours at posts and
overtime costs.
With that in mind, our requested fiscal year 2012 personnel costs
support the current authorized staffing levels of 2,243 positions, as
well as a request for 3 new civilian positions for the OIG. This will
result in the increase of 3 personnel (from 2,243 to 2,246), while
absorbing the mission requirements associated with FOB8 security and
the dispatch operations.
At current staffing levels, the Department's fiscal year 2012 basic
overtime projection of approximately $33.9 million reflects an increase
more than the $32 million that was provided for in fiscal year 2011
with rescission.
Other requested increases to overtime include an additional
$215,000 in funding to cover LOC's nonreimbursable events, and $2.4
million for overtime necessary to secure multi-year AOC initiatives, to
include the Capitol Dome skirt, and utility tunnel projects. These
items bring the total fiscal year 2012 overtime request to $36.5
million which is an increase of $4.5 million.
The second area of detail is an overall net increase in our
requested general expenses budget, which includes protective travel;
hiring, outfitting, and training of new sworn personnel; supplies and
equipment; management systems; et cetera. While we are requesting an
overall increase of 29 percent more than the fiscal year 2011 funding
levels, the majority of the increase request is for new initiatives to
address identified threats and risks, and for support of the 2012
political conventions and Presidential Inauguration planning. The
increase in the request, just for the normal annual needs of the
Department, excluding new initiatives, and convention and pre-
Inauguration support, is 5 percent.
These seven new initiatives include:
--security and law enforcement services for FOB8;
--security enhancements for the Alternate Computer Facility;
--security designs for the utility tunnel system;
--design and installation of a security program for the Capitol Dome
Skirt Rehabilitation project;
--design and installation of security management systems within House
and Senate parking garages;
--software upgrades for the Department's fixed asset system; and
--a Department-wide travel management system.
The total funding requested for these new initiatives is $11.8
million.
Finally, we are requesting $3 million in general expense funding to
support the 2012 political conventions and pre-Inauguration planning.
With your support, the Department continues to successfully perform
our operational mission and has achieved several key accomplishments
over the last year that have resulted in greater efficiencies for the
Department, which include addressing several administrative challenges
and improving corresponding business practices.
Operationally, so far this fiscal year, the Department has screened
more than 3 million visitors to the Capitol Complex; affected more than
200 arrests; conducted more than 75,000 K-9 sweeps; and screened nearly
6,500 vehicles. In fiscal year 2010, the Department screened more than
10 million visitors, affected more than 700 arrests; and conducted more
than 160,000 K-9 sweeps. These are just a few examples of the many
operational elements that are conducted daily to ensure the success of
the Department's core mission.
With the direct assistance of the Capitol Police Board, who
provided advisors to assess financial management risks and to provide
recommended improvements, we have the foundation for sound fiscal
practices that we are actively implementing and will continuously seek
to improve upon.
Included in the sound fiscal practices recommended by the OIG
through his budget formulation audit and the Board's financial advisors
through their review of our financial management operations are the
practices and processes we conducted to create the fiscal year 2012
budget.
The Department re-implemented an improved management and budget
planning methodology which we call the ``Force Development Process''.
It provides for a transparent decisionmaking process, including reviews
and approvals by an Investment Review Board made up of key agency
management, and provides a structure that is results-driven and based
on meeting operational needs. We also formalized a process for program
evaluations for selected existing programs, which we plan to expand for
the fiscal year 2013 process. In addition, in order to ensure the
accuracy of our budget request, this fiscal year 2012 budget went
through multiple layers of review and validation by internal and
external parties, and is traceable to supporting documentation for each
budget element.
Additionally, by transitioning our primary vehicle fleet to a
General Services Administration (GSA)-based fleet leasing program, we
now have a consistent 5-year life-cycle replacement plan, which saves
taxpayer dollars over purchasing these primary fleet vehicles, reduces
repair costs, gives us a predictable annual funding requirement and
allows us to maintain a consistent state of operational readiness. In
an effort to take advantage of cross servicing within the legislative
branch, we also successfully migrated our financial management system
to the LOC, which saves the Department not just in annual operational
costs, but in future software upgrade costs through economies of scale
within the legislative branch. Finally, as a result of programmatic
efficiencies that enabled the reduction of 11 Hazardous Materials
Response Team positions, we were able to use those vacant civilian
positions for security control operators to monitor our alarm system
which was previously handled by contractors. As a result, the security
control positions were filled by utilizing USCP employees previously
transferred to the Department of Labor (DOL) due to worker's
compensation issues. Overall, this transformation allowed the
Department to better use available resources to more efficiently
achieve an operational requirement by returning employees to productive
work, which allowed us to eliminate a $1.2 million contract for the
previously contracted-operators and reduce our workers compensation
charge backs to the DOL by returning employees to duty.
Further, we continue our work to close audit recommendations and to
address our material weaknesses from prior audits by working closely
with our OIG and the Government Accountability Office to address issues
which have arisen and by providing the evidence necessary to close
findings. In particular, I am pleased to report that we recently closed
all eight audit findings related to the USCP OIG's audit of the
Department's budget formulation process. Further, we are working on the
resolution of a number of other recommendations in order to achieve
efficiency and effectiveness of our administrative programs. The long-
term resolution of recommendations related to internal controls,
business processes and material weaknesses remain of the highest
importance to our management team.
As I mentioned in the beginning of my testimony, we are well aware
of and understand the economic climate that affects our country, the
legislative branch and the entire Federal Government, and I want to
assure you that the USCP will successfully adapt our resources and
continue to safeguard the Congressional community.
I appreciate the opportunity to appear before you today and would
be glad to answer any questions you may have at this time.
Senator Nelson. Thank you, Chief Morse. And thank you all.
If it's okay, we can try 6-minute rounds of questions. And
it looks like we'll--maybe I'll just finish that about the time
the vote is called.
Ms. Erickson, the fiscal year 2011 enacted level of funding
for your office included the $4.2 million associated with the
transfer of the SIS program. Your budget request for fiscal
year 2012 includes the same level of funding for the SIS
program. Can you update the subcommittee on the progress being
made on the transfer of the SIS from the SAA to your office?
And have you identified any improvements or efficiencies that
you can find in the implementation of the system?
Ms. Erickson. Well, the transition has gone very smoothly.
And I think it's important to remind the subcommittee that the
idea behind the SIS program was to make the services more
efficient and cost effective for the Senate. Prior to 2000,
each office was appropriated a sum of money to purchase online
subscriptions. And a decision was made, by this subcommittee
and the Rules Committee, to have one entity be the negotiator
for these subscriptions, which can be quite costly, as you
know.
As part of our education and outreach efforts to Senate
staff, I think it's fair to say that it was a surprise to some
of the office administrators that we provided some of these
services, and that offices were purchasing duplicate
subscriptions. I think that you'll see some Senate offices will
achieve cost savings by canceling these subscriptions and
relying on SIS services.
Last year, we had a surplus of 0.05 percent. And, with the
0.2 percent rescission, it cut that amount roughly by half.
We're currently entering a new procurement stage, and I'm
pleased to report that we had recommended, based on usage
statistics, to the Senate Rules Committee, that we eliminate
one of the service vendors. And they have approved our request.
We'll see some minor cost savings on that front.
So, needless to say, with a flat budget, there's not a lot
of room for error as we enter the procurement negotiations.
But, I'm hopeful that these services will be maintained,
because they're valued and used by Senate staff.
Senator Nelson. Your testimony touches on the fact that
during fiscal year 2010, the Disbursing Office, in tandem with
SAA technical support, began implementing a new payroll system.
What is the status of that Senate payroll replacement project?
You indicated that phase I should be completed during fiscal
year 2012. What are the necessary steps? And is everything
progressing? The status of the replacement projects is what
we're after.
Ms. Erickson. The implementation is going well. I will say,
as you can imagine, anytime you're dealing with payroll, it is
a high- stakes project. We've been having implementation
sessions with the vendor who was selected to help with the
implementation. I've met periodically with the implementation
group. They meet every 2 weeks for what we call ``fit-gap''
sessions. And I think it's fair to say that, so far, everything
looks good. There's a great deal of work ahead of us.
But, one thing that I was struck by in attending these
sessions, is the relatively small number of people, not only
from the Disbursing Office, but from Terry's shop, in payroll,
who assist us every 2 weeks in getting the payroll out--the
small group of people who are working on this project. And
they're doing this job on top of their already very full-time
duties of issuing payroll every 2 weeks. I'm pleased to report
that everything is going well to date. And we will be sure to
keep you and your staffs informed as we progress on the
project.
Senator Nelson. Okay. And what is the cost of the Senate
Office Personnel System (SOPS)? And is that somehow tied to the
payroll system? Is it more cost effective to do the personnel
system in conjunction with the payroll system?
Ms. Erickson. Sure.
Senator Nelson [continuing]. In other words, are there
additional costs associated with adding the personnel system
later, rather than doing so now, as you're in the
implementation phase?
Ms. Erickson. The payroll project will be one that will
take place in three phases. The first phase will be simply the
replication of the current system, which we hope to have
launched by February. The second phase of the project will
include self-service options, which will allow Senate staff to,
from their desktops, change their withholdings, their address.
It will also mean the end of paper paycheck stubs that will be
mailed to your offices. That will all be sent electronically.
The third phase of the project will include the SOPS, or
personnel system, for Senate offices.
The SAA had asked the vendor who's helping us with the
implementation, as well as an outside consultant, to do an
analysis of the risks associated with doing the personnel
system at the same time as the current payroll system. And they
recommended that it was too high risk for us to implement at
this time. So, that will be the third phase of this project.
Senator Nelson. You mentioned what the new personnel system
will offer the offices, among other things, interactive ability
to change certain information would there be some other
services that would come to the various Senate offices from
that change?
Ms. Erickson. Pardon.
Senator Nelson. Would there be some other benefits, other
than services, that will come to the Senate offices from this
changeover?
Ms. Erickson. Yes, there will. It'll be a much more
efficient system. And I'd be happy to follow up with the
subcommittee in more detail on some of the options that would--
--
Senator Nelson. Sure.
Ms. Erickson [continuing]. Will be available.
Senator Nelson. Okay. Thank you. I think that is my time.
Senator Hoeven.
Senator Hoeven. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Again, thank you for the hard work that you've done on
these budgets. And, as you know, we're in challenging times,
financially, in terms of the Federal budget. So, we're going to
have to continue to work to find savings where we can. And in
that effort, we've got our personnel costs, which, in all your
cases, is obviously a very big part of your budget. It's very
people intensive. And then we have other expenses. Anticipating
that, we're going to have to continue to find savings, just
based on what I expect the overall budget requirements to be,
there's been discussion of even going back to 2008 funding
levels.
So, what I'd like to engage in a little bit is how we would
go about finding some savings and how we would balance that
between people and projects. Now, for both Secretary of the
Senate, SAA, you essentially have flat budgets, and have been
from, basically, 2010, 2011, now looking at 2012; in the case
of the USCP, we need to talk a little bit about the 14 percent
increase you are requesting. I recognize the need for security;
and, of course, with the tragic event that occurred with
Representative Gabrielle Giffords, we know that's not only a
security issue here in Washington, DC, but around the country.
So, we have to be mindful of those security requirements, too.
But, let's start, if we could, with the Secretary of the
Senate. In terms of people and projects now, if we have to hold
these budgets flat, or even compress them further, talk a
little bit in terms of what you're realistically able to do
between people versus some of your other general expenses
versus any kind of projects that you have going now. How would
you start to--and I know it may be a little hard for you to get
into specifics, but that's not what I'm looking for, so much as
to how you would approach this budgeting process in that
balance between people, general expenses, and project type
costs.
Ms. Erickson. Well, in terms of our operational budget,
we'll be in great shape if you hold us to our 2008 level of
funding. Our 2012 budget request is the same level as our 2008
level of funding on the operations front. With respect to
staffing, the Secretary of the Senate, over the years, has been
capped at a level of 253 employees. And I'm pleased to say that
I think that we're well--we're below that cap on purpose
because I'm mindful that there may be statutory requirements
that require me to add full-time equivalents to our budget. An
example of that would be, in the last Congress there were two
bills that were proposed, dealing with earmarks, and one that
would have required us to hire staff who had budgetary
expertise. I would have had to add staff to my budgets to do
that.
Every vacancy that we have, through retirement or
attrition, we scrutinize carefully to make sure that it's
necessary to fill it. And at the top of my head right now, I
can think, in the last few months, that there are four
vacancies that we currently have that we plan to, hopefully, do
without by using existing staff.
Senator Hoeven. Okay.
Terry.
Mr. Gainer. We've done some analysis of what it would take
if we had to reduce the budget by 5, 7, or 10 percent, and then
tried to analyze what we'd do, from a head count and operations
perspective. And we do have plans in our mind, if we had to do
that. I think the head count reduction would come through
eventual attrition as you stop some programs. So, it is really
the program area that we'd have to adjust to.
And I'll give you some ``for-instances''. About 27 percent
of our operational budget goes for the support of the State
offices. So, when we've looked at reducing funding, generally
it's something on the Hill that we change. And if we have to
reduce substantially, I would really respectfully request, of
this subcommittee and others, that we take a look at the 454
offices that we have around the United States, and see if there
isn't some cost-cutting we could do there. That is a
substantial portion of our operational budget.
But, when we look at expenses we've deferred much, as I've
indicated. And at some point, that bill is going to come due
potentially slowing things down. The turnover of getting new
computers or buying new equipment could change dramatically.
While we keep a high level of response to the Senate community
to install a computer, move a computer, change a computer, all
that could change, similar to what we've probably done in our
own homes if it breaks down; we're not able to pick the phone
up and have someone there in 15 minutes. So, if the Members and
the staff could adjust to slower response times, there would be
money to save. But, operating like that would eventually
adversely impact your ability to interact with your
constituents. But, we've at least planned out how we would do
that, if push came to shove.
Senator Hoeven. I think that you're thinking in the right
terms, both of you. You know, we'll see what this number boils
down to. I'm expecting we're going to end up with some top line
number for 2012, at some point, here, maybe even as we go
through these discussions with the administration, in terms of
the whole debt ceiling issue. We may end up with some top line
number. We'll see. And then, out of that top line number, of
course, through the Appropriations Committee, then that puts us
in a position to actually boil down numbers to some of these
different budgets. It's tough, from the standpoint that we
don't have a lot of dollars, obviously, and we're going to have
to find savings. But, the good part is that we may then have a
number to come back to you and say, ``Okay, we're going to have
to try to, you know, live within certain numbers, but then
you've got some ability to make those decisions.'' And we would
do everything we could within that number, then, to try to help
you make it work in the best way possible.
I think some of the things that you talked about and
identified-- whether they're exactly the right things to do, or
not, is something we can work through--but, I think you're
thinking exactly in the right terms, as far as how we would
approach the challenge. And, like I said, I think we'll have a
better idea of what that has to be, as we go forward.
Chief, you know, obviously, with the security situation,
that's a tough proposition. And I referenced Representative
Giffords and the challenge that creates, not only for you, here
in Washington, DC, but then around the country. How do we--with
the need for security, not just for Members, but for the
public--how are you going to approach this? Just start at a
high level----
Chief Morse. Sure.
Senator Hoeven [continuing]. And then get down in some more
specifics.
USCP deg.ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT
Chief Morse. One thing we do when we formulate our budget
is, we look at threat and risk. So, we do an environmental
assessment, and then we do what's called ``force development.''
We look at those risks and threats, and we look at what we
currently do and what we may need to do.
I'm going to give you one example of where--in the 2012
budget, when you're looking at a program or operation, how we
were able to meet a new mission, with respect to threat and
risk, by not increasing the staffing level of our police
department. What we did for the FOB8, where we needed eight
additional officers, we scrubbed vacant civilian positions that
we had not hired for yet. We reallocated those positions to
fill those vacancies. That's an example of where we scrubbed a
program, we were able to utilize vacant positions to reallocate
for a new mission without asking for an increase in authorized
strength.
Another example of where we look at a program or operation
is with respect to our truck interdiction and monitoring
program. We've taken information technology, camera systems,
and new technology, with respect to the lights and the
intersections, and we will be able to reduce that program by
reducing officers, reducing vehicles, which then becomes less
maintenance, less gas, less overtime, and we're able to
reallocate those officers to other missions.
So, we will continue to do those scrubs of programs and
operations to find savings, both in how we do what we do and
the number of people that we need to do it with.
Senator Hoeven. Okay. I actually was going to try and see
if I could work this so the Chairman was back before I went to
the vote. But, I think, given the time, that I'm going to have
to excuse myself so that I can go vote. And then, I expect both
the Chairman and myself will be back pretty shortly.
Thank you.
Senator Nelson. I think we can reconvene, here.
And this is still to Ms. Erickson. Aside from the SIS
program request, your fiscal year 2012 budget is very
conservative. What measures are you using, internally within
your agency, to control the costs?
Ms. Erickson. Well, with a relatively small budget of $2
million, I have to say that we're vigilant, on a daily basis,
of watching our budget.
Just a few examples. Our Senate library staff, every year,
review the subscriptions and the database of subscriptions that
we have. And this year, they were able to find $38,000 in
savings over the next 3 years. Another example, our Senate
chief employment counsel staff have eliminated the purchase of
hardbound legal books, and have achieved $6,000 in annual
savings. Our Senate Stationery Room tackled a project, at the
request of Senate office administrators, to provide online
ordering services to offices. Initially, we thought we would
contract that out, and then, looking at the costs, we decided
we'd do it internally, using the resources we have here,
relying heavily on our Senate Webmaster to achieve some cost
savings. Now, it may not have all the bells and whistles that
an outside contractor would have provided us, but I'm confident
it'll get the job done for Senate offices.
Other small things we do: Not every staff member has a cell
phone and BlackBerry. We limit those to individuals who are
department directors or those who have emergency operation
responsibilities. In the last 2 years, we've limited staff
travel to attend training and conferences. So, those are just
small ways that we try to achieve cost savings for our
operational budget.
With respect to salaries, as I mentioned to Senator Hoeven
earlier, every time we have a vacancy, we scrutinize it to make
sure that it's one that we really need to fill. And, in
recognizing the tight economic times that we're in, I can think
of, off the top of my head, four vacancies that we currently
have had, in the last few months, that we plan to keep open and
rely on existing staff to assume those duties.
Senator Nelson. Well, thank you. And I commend you for the
steps that you've taken to control costs, and submitting such a
lean budget. And after giving you all those compliments, I
guess it might come as a shock that I will ask the question: If
you had to submit a 5-percent reduction from fiscal year 2011,
do you have any thoughts about where you might make those kinds
of reductions?
Ms. Erickson. Well, we have a lean budget, so it would be
tough. And many of the services that we provide are ones that
we have statutory mandates to provide. But, we would do our
best to scrutinize the budget to come up with those savings. We
would do as directed by the Appropriations Committee.
With respect to the SIS program, I have to say that, if we
took a 5-percent cut, it would bring the level of funding for
that program back to 2008 levels. And it would require us to
make drastic cuts in the services provided to Senate offices.
Senator Nelson. And the Senate offices don't want those
drastic cuts in their service, do they?
Ms. Erickson. They do not.
Senator Nelson. I know.
Ms. Erickson. In fact, recently, the leadership
directories, which is one of the services under the SIS
program, went dark for a few hours, and the phones in our
Senate library were ringing off the hook with complaints from
Senate staff. We like to keep them happy.
Senator Nelson. Well, thank you. I appreciate it very much.
As we look at the Senate SAA budget, your request, Mr.
Gainer, is only slightly above 2011 enacted level. And I note
that you would have been below, except for the 2.2 percent
across-the-board cut that was applied to that bill. And once
again, I'd like to commend you for submitting a budget that
basically reflects a freeze in spending. And I have a couple of
questions about your request and the current funding levels.
Number one, does your increase in salary funding for fiscal
year 2012 include a request for additional staff?
Mr. Gainer. No, Sir, there are no additional staff
requests.
Senator Nelson. How much do you currently have in remaining
prior year unobligated balances, which you have said you would
like to see applied?
Mr. Gainer. There is approximately $10 million of
unobligated balances, Senator. And we have a plan for that
money. Part of it goes to completing the work that we're doing
with the Secretary of the Senate on the payroll system. We
don't know if we have allocated enough to complete the project,
so we are reserving some funds, in case there are additional
requirements. We're reserving some funds that are related to
the question you had about the personnel system, one large item
that benefits the entire Senate community. And then, we'd have
to prioritize those projects that we've deferred over these
last couple years, and see how we would best use the funds.
Senator Nelson. Right. And how much of those unobligated
balances would expire at the end of fiscal year 2011 if not
used?
Mr. Gainer. Approximately $5 million will expire.
Senator Nelson. All right. Unfortunately, if we're going to
get our fiscal house in order, it's going to take a bit more
than a freeze. So, I'd like to ask you the same question that I
asked Ms. Erickson, just a minute ago. Do you have any areas
that you might identify if you were looking at a 5-percent
reduction from the previous number?
Mr. Gainer. Five percent would be about $11 million for us,
and we have considered that. Again, I believe we've deferred
all that we should defer. And what we would do, Senator, is
look to the State offices. Twenty-seven percent our operational
costs go to support the 454 State offices, including computers,
installation, network storage, etc. I think we'd have to go
back to you and the other respective committees to say, ``Is it
time to take another look at the number of statewide offices we
have--454--and how they're staffed?'' That would be one way to
spread the reductions.
Then, I did mention to Senator Hoeven, if we can change the
expectations of the Senators and their staff, and
concomitantly, what your constituents want, we could the slow
process down. We have a rapid response time on service
requests. And, like people who have computers at home, it may
be 3 or 4 years between the time I replace computers. We update
and replace equipment more quickly here, so our movement toward
virtual computers and cloud computing would look different.
Every time a vendor comes out with a new device, we put it in
our catalog. You pay for it out of your funds, but we have to
have the systems to support it. We'd have to rethink all that.
Senator Nelson. And, as a result of preparing for the
threat in the Government shutdown last month, were you able to
identify any efficiencies in services that, if implemented now,
could potentially lead to future savings? I know we all had to
take a look, internally, at the offices, and ask the basic
questions about what was essential--not what was unnecessary,
but what was essential. Did you find anything, in that
exercise?
Mr. Gainer. Well, one thing I found is we lost a lot of
productivity preparing for the shutdown: the cost of about
$200,000. But, I do not think that we had the ah-ha moment to
say, ``We can do without that'', because the demand slows down.
Senator Nelson. Yes. You're subject to whatever demand
there is out there.
And that is the same thing for you, Ms. Erickson. Did you
find the same thing, the slowdown in demand, because everybody
was busy doing their own thing internally in their own office?
Ms. Erickson. Well, I'll chime in with Terry, that a lot of
lost productivity was----
Senator Nelson. Absolutely.
Ms. Erickson [continuing]. Lost, that week, prior to the
potential Government shutdown.
We took the Antideficiency Act requirements very seriously
in our operation. And we simply planned to keep open the small
staff, in the Disbursing Office, that would have to issue the
payroll during that period. And then, we planned, of course, to
have our legislative staff here to maintain floor operations.
But, the rest of our departments were closed, as required by
the Antideficiency Act.
Mr. Gainer. Senator, can I have make one remark----
Senator Nelson. Sure.
Mr. Gainer [continuing]. On that question?
Senator Nelson. Sure.
Mr. Gainer. It did dawn on me that during that whole shut
down evolution, Christy Prietsch, who runs the Senate-wide
Employee Assistance Program, saw the work in her office
magnified 10 times. So, there was no small amount of angst on
everyone's part. But, I'd also like, when we have an
opportunity, to talk about some things that might make us all
more efficient as we go through some of these exercises.
Senator Nelson. Thank you.
Terry, can you update us on the progress of the telecom
modernization project?
Mr. Gainer. Senator, I can. The good news is, we anticipate
that the pilot project will be out not much later than the end
of September. And the pilot project to roll out the new phone
system that will continue to build on the Watson Program will
involve a couple of the Senate offices, a portion of my own
office, and some of the committees.
It has taken us longer than expected. There have been some
knockdown drag-out meetings, in my own office, about us being
behind schedule on that. It's not because of a lack of will,
but it's due to the evolving and complex nature of the project.
So, we are now on track to get the pilot up that will have
some of the other savings that go along with putting in that
new system, the ease with moving around a phone, changing
phones, and people being able to get their messages on their
BlackBerrys. There are all sorts of enhancements that are
efficiency-oriented. So, by the end of this calendar year, and
into the beginning of the next calendar year, we'll move
steadily through the Senate community, replacing all the
phones.
Senator Nelson. Do you anticipate the need for any
additional funding for the project, or do you think we have it
adequately funded, at the moment?
Mr. Gainer. I do believe the funding is sufficient now,
Senator.
Senator Nelson. Good. Okay.
Has the Senate community been receptive to the new Watson
voice messaging system that was necessary that you got put in
place?
Mr. Gainer. Very much so. There were the initial hiccups as
with any new system, but I think we quickly responded to those.
We've worked with the Rules Committee and others. The response
to that has been very good. It's helped with call waiting and
call volume. The other real unique feature is the ability to
get voicemail messages on your BlackBerry, or from your phone
to your BlackBerry and your computer.
Senator Nelson. I understand you're going to be issuing
smart identification cards. What will the benefit be to that?
And is there any unusual cost associated with it?
Mr. Gainer. About one-third of those 454 statewide offices
are in Federal buildings. And the Federal buildings are rapidly
moving toward those ID cards. So, to make it more efficient for
State staff members to get in and out of their offices, it will
be very important. We've been after smart ID cards since my
days as the Chief of the USCP. If we all had them, it would be
a lot easier and more efficient for people to get in and out of
the building. So, we have spent about $1.4 million on the
project, so far. I think the annualized cost is somewhere in
the range of $110,000-a-year; but, as the executive branch
moves to these, we need to keep up.
USCP deg.VALIDATING THE USCP FISCAL YEAR 2012 REQUEST
Senator Nelson. Thank you.
Chief Morse, your agency and the CBO were the only two
accounts that received an increased funding from fiscal year
2010 level in the fiscal year 2011 continuing resolution. And
it was done to annualize that funding correction due to the
salary miscalculation at the Department in fiscal year 2010.
Now, based on the work done by the outside contractors which
were hired by the USCP Board last year, what steps have you
taken to validate the accuracy of your fiscal year 2012 budget
request? And how confident are you that we won't see, or have
to adjust for, another shortfall at some point in the future?
Chief Morse. With working with the Board's contractors,
we've done a number of things. One is, as reported in my
opening remarks, we have closed all eight recommendations
associated with the audit of the budget formulation process.
That enabled us to do several things. One is to go back to what
had worked very well for us in implementing our Force
Development Program, our environmental assessment, where we
have a very responsible and reasonable approach, with respect
to threats and risks. And that's what our budget is designed
around.
We also have implemented a top-down review of our budget to
include the Investment Review Board, that we have done in the
past, which includes our managers in the review of the process.
We have started writing all standard operation procedures (SOP)
related to the budget formulation process.
And as an example, what we did, with respect to the
formulation process itself, was have the people who actually
work in those positions be a part of the formulation of those
SOPs so that we would not only know the exact steps to take,
but we would be a part of writing those SOPs for anyone in the
future who may come in.
Another step that we took was to ensure that we reviewed
our positions there, our position descriptions, and then filled
the most critical positions within that organization. And, as I
said, I'm happy to report, we closed all those recommendations.
The SOPs have been formulated for the process. They continue to
be done as we move through the execution of our budget. We are
very confident that we have produced a very solid and accurate
budget, and one that we will continue to do into the future.
Senator Nelson. Did the outside contractors coordinate with
the GAO on the previous work done by the GAO on your budget? In
other words, was there cooperation, corroboration back and
forth?
Chief Morse. We've had very good cooperation, not only with
the GAO, but with the IG, with respect to the audit findings,
previous recommendations that have been made. One of the things
that we wanted to do, and they have been very helpful in doing,
is ensuring that we're not duplicating any recommendations,
that we're all on the same page, and that we're doing the most
important things first, and that were ensuring that the things
we do are the most efficient and effective for the formulation
of our budget and the execution of it.
USCP deg.BUDGET REQUEST AND ITS IMPACT ON THE LEGISLATIVE
BRANCH
Senator Nelson. In addition to the increased funding that I
just mentioned, your department's asking for an additional
$47.5 million, or 14 percent, in fiscal year 2012. To put it in
further perspective, this $47.5 million increase is the
equivalent to 1 percent of the legislative branch bill, as a
whole. If this bill were held at a freeze, we'd need to cut
every other agency by 1 percent, which I'm sure makes them very
pleased, to make up for the increase in funding for the USCP.
However, it's my goal that we reduce the funding by an
additional 5 percent, if we can. But, if we fully fund the
USCP, it means a 6-percent cut to everybody else. So, what do
you say to your colleagues sitting at the table?
Chief Morse. Well, you left me in a pretty bad position,
didn't you? What I would say is, you're safe, and we intend to
keep it that way.
Senator Nelson. And you're packing, too.
Chief Morse. Yes. There you go.
Well, I would say that--look, I'm very humble, and I took
responsibility for the miscalculations of 2010. And I take
responsibility for anything that the USCP, unless it's good;
and that's where I give the credit to the people that support
me, like the USCP Board, this subcommittee, and the people that
are sitting behind me today that work for me.
I think it's important to say that a lot of our budget
increases--you know, we have an explanation behind it that's
very important to get out. One of the things I wanted to say
was and with Senator Hoeven, I mentioned, too is that, we're
not all about increases. We're also about, really, effectively
and efficiently running our police department. We've worked
with the Senate Sergeant at Arms Rules Committee, as the
example was given in Mr. Gainer's opening remarks, where we
saved well more than a half a million dollars. We are working
with technology, in one of our programs currently, that will
reduce the number of vehicles, people, gas, and maintenance. We
scrubbed our open civilian vacancies and were able to
reallocate those to other mission requirements that were placed
on us so that we wouldn't have to raise the cost of or, raise
the size of our police department. We've done a fleet vehicle
leasing program that this subcommittee reviewed and approved,
and, over a course of time, saved several million dollars, over
the next 10 years, with regard to purchasing, which enables us
to have a refreshed fleet, it enables us to do our mission more
carefully. We've scrubbed programs within our police
department, where we have improved the efficiency and
effectiveness. We were able to save 11 positions. We were then
able to get rid of a multimillion-dollar contract for alarm
monitoring, bring that in-house. We looked at USCP employees
previously transferred to the Department of Labor, and brought
them back and gave them positions.
So, we have worked very, very hard to save money, be
creative in saving money. But, the mission comes first for us,
and sometimes the mission continues to grow.
And with respect to the question I heard earlier, with
respect to a 5-percent cut from the 2011 to the 2008 levels, as
an example, after the 2008 budget, we incurred two very large
mission requirements. One was the merger with the LOC, and the
other was the opening of the Capitol Visitor Center.
So, all those types of things have to be considered, with
respect to our budget. And I appreciate all my partners in the
room, and their contribution and support to our police
department. But, I also wanted them to know that we work very,
very hard not to increase our costs, but to find ways to save
money.
Senator Nelson. Thank you.
Senator Hoeven.
Senator Hoeven. Thanks, Mr. Chairman.
You know, I think you may be covering the same point that I
want to explore for just a minute. I thought both Nancy and
Terry did a very good job of expressing how they would approach
any further reductions that we may need to make, and I agree
with that approach.
In the security area, it's challenging, to say the least,
because, on the one hand, we can tell Members of Congress and
the Senators, ``Look, if we have to compress some budgets,
you're going to have to do without some services. I mean, just
understand that's what this means. So, that means you may not
have as many constituent offices in your State, and the
associated personnel, and so forth, that goes with them.'' But,
I think, in a very direct way, we can go back to the Members
and say--and obviously, on the House side, they do it, and, on
the Senate side, we do it--but, go back to our Members and say,
``Look, these are the kinds of changes we're going to have to
make. What do you want? What don't you want? And there's an
associated cost or reduction that goes with it.'' And I think
that's how we would, in all likelihood, have to approach most
of it, other than to the extent we can defer projects or defer
maintenance, which, as you rightfully said, catches up with
you. But, I think that's how we'll have to approach these
things.
In the security area, it seems to me that is a particularly
challenging proposition, just given the nature of both the
additional projects you've been asked to take on and just the
nature of security, in general, both for elected individuals,
but also for the public that's here and in these facilities and
around the country.
So, we started to get into it a little bit before I left
for the vote, but I just want you, Chief, to explore for me for
a minute what realistic possibilities does that give us? Now, I
notice, right now, it appears that you have a number of vacancy
positions, relative to your full-time authorized, and you are
asking for nine more positions for 2012. So, maybe just, if you
haven't already touched on both your roughly 25 or so vacant
positions now, and the 9 additional. But then, if you would,
really touch on--how would I go back to the Members, or how
would the chairman go back to his Members and say, ``If you
want some reductions these are the things that are going to
have to happen?'' What would that dialogue look like?
USCP deg.FISCAL YEAR 2012 REDUCTIONS
Chief Morse. Okay, well, with respect to the authorized
strength, we did take--we have an authorized strength of 443,
with our civilians. We scrubbed 22 of those positions that are
currently vacant and said, ``Let's reallocate those instead of
growing the sworn--or, growing the overall strength of the
department, let's just reallocate those--nine of those
positions to the sworn positions, and ask for the funding for
those, in order to accomplish that new mission of opening a new
building.'' So, that is where we reallocated, from within, to
not grow, overall.
But, with respect to security, it's ever-evolving. The
threat continuously changes. They're trying to stay one step
ahead of us, and it's important for us to stay ahead of them.
Therefore, it's sometimes hard to predict, you know, what the
next type of emerging threat may be, so we have to, obviously,
maintain the highest level of technology. So, when you look at
cutting general expenses, and you look at the agency trying to
stay within the budget constraints provided, we get into
deferring life-cycle replacement. You can do that for a time,
but then it does start to adversely affect security, because
now you're behind in technology, or the technology you have
starts to break down on you. So, deferring those costs is not
something that you want to do to--for too many cycles. You have
to constantly, as I said, think ahead of the adversary.
Sometimes that means the responsibility of securing things that
may be temporary, like some of these projects. These are not
permanent increases, they're temporary increases, but they're
needed in order to reduce the risk and threat that those can
pose while those projects are ongoing.
So, the only other way, without cutting security, is to cut
mission. And cut mission is one thing that we worked on, with
respect to the door-closure plan.
Senator Hoeven. All right.
Chief Morse. We simply looked at hours of operation, the
number of people that are screened through those locations, and
we looked at the impact that may have on the institution's
responsibility to be able to work freely. So, we measured that,
and we were able to find savings. I think we have to continue
to do that.
Senator Hoeven. Yes.
Chief Morse. And I would not recommend that we cut
security, but that we look at mission, and find other
innovative ways to reduce the amount of mission that we have,
which then results in a reduction in overtime, a reduction in
people; and you are not sacrificing security for that.
Senator Hoeven. Right. But--and I think that--with your
indulgence, Mr. Chairman--that does make sense, both in terms
of timelines--how long facilities are open, the number of
facilities that are open--that makes sense.
Chief Morse. Yes. Yes, Sir.
Mr. Gainer. One of the things that the USCP Board--the
House SAA, myself, and the AOC--is doing under the Chief's
leadership, is to reach out to Homeland Security and the Secret
Service. For instance, we each have an entire operation that
does screening of vehicles and trucks. So, we said, ``Is there
efficiency in trying to do something together?'' And the
Chief's staff have been working very hard with Director
Sullivan's staff to see how we can merge the systems. We're
nearing completion. The Congress has given the USCP Board and
the AOC property where we plan to build the model offsite
delivery facility. We've entered into discussions with Homeland
Security and the Secret Service to make that a joint project.
So, while it doesn't help your numbers here, if the Office of
Management and Budget were giving credit for something being
done, this is a way we're trying to minimize stovepipes here in
the District.
Senator Hoeven. I think that's right on. I mean, I would
have to see your reaction across the board. I think it is right
on. And there may be some opportunities here. And, of course,
we would give some credit for those savings that we help
generate with others in any kind of joint endeavor. But, I do
have to say that I appreciate, very much, your responses to my
questions. And I agree, I think you're looking at things the
right way. And so, thank you, again, for the good work that you
do.
USCP deg.CONVENTION AND PRE-INAUGURAL SUPPORT COSTS
Senator Nelson. Thank you, Senator Hoeven.
Chief, you have $3 million, I think it is, for the coverage
of conventions and pre-Inaugural support planning. How did you
arrive at that $3 million? Is it based on prior experience,
within--that in mind? Or, how did you do that?
Chief Morse. Yes, we use historical data, and also, site
location drives the cost. But, in those costs, obviously, are,
you know, travel, transportation, rental, per diem, et cetera.
And those costs are derived from previous conventions and,
obviously, Inauguration support.
USCP deg.IG INCREASES
Senator Nelson. I noticed, on the IG increase, that you
asked for three additional FTEs for the IG's staff. How many
staff does the IG currently have, at the present time?
Chief Morse. Including the IG, four.
Senator Nelson. Four? Now, you're almost doubling the IG
staff there. What is the basis for determining that you need to
add three additional to the current staffing?
Chief Morse. The request for increase comes from the IG and
his justifications to the USCP Board. And with their approval,
those numbers were derived. So, it's not based on my
justification for increase.
Senator Nelson. And you'd rather not make him mad.
Mr. Gainer. Senator, from a USCP Board perspective, of
which I am the chairman this year--Bill Livingood, the House
SAA, and I rotate that each year--the Inspector General has
steadily asked for additional staff over the years, and we've
steadily said no, except we now see that we're missing some
opportunities to conduct audits. With the help of those audits
and investigations, Phil's operation could be more efficient.
Senator Nelson. So, we could realize some savings,
ultimately, with more efficiency being pointed out through the
IG's audits? Is that part of our justification?
Chief Morse. Yes. I welcome help----
Senator Nelson. Sure.
Chief Morse [continuing]. And assistance and
recommendations. And the ones that I've been getting from the
USCP Board, obviously, the IG's and the GAO, all have led to
productive, efficient outcomes.
USCP deg.RADIO MODERNIZATION PROJECT
Senator Nelson. How's the radio modernization project
working out for us?
Chief Morse. Well, currently--there are five phases in the
radio modernization project--currently, we're in a combined
phase 3 and 4. That phase is the acquisition, procurement, and
testing, and some installation and construction that's ongoing.
We have two mirror sites. The one mirror site is about 97
percent complete and on target for its completion date. The
second mirror site is about 18 percent complete and on target
for its completion date.
There are requests for proposals associated with this with
the money that's been obligated. Those RFPs, a total of five.
One was released and awarded. The other two have been released
and are in a phase of either closure or technical inspection.
And then, the other two are pending release either this month
or next month.
Senator Nelson. Do you think that the $7.2 million being
requested in fiscal year 2012 represents the last installment
for the project?
Chief Morse. In the 2011 appropriation that you provided
us, we were on a diet in our general expenses. By enabling us
to not change the enacted general expense from the previous
year, we'll be able to derive the $7.2 million from that
general expense and, therefore, will rescind that from our 2012
budget request.
Senator Nelson. All right.
I believe that's all the questions that I have.
Senator Hoeven.
Senator Hoeven. I don't have any additional questions,
unless there's any other comment, as a result of this hearing,
that anybody would like to make.
Mr. Gainer. Would you mind if I just opined two things?
We would hope you might consider a single salary and
expense appropriation for us, as the majority of executive
branch agencies do, and some of the legislative branch. We have
about 10 accounts that my Chief Financial Officer says, ``If I
were dreaming, it would be nice to reduce the number of funds,
and have the flexibility in the movement of funds, with all the
appropriate oversight.'' But, maybe take another look at that.
This one may be more of a stretch. I've long thought, as I
did in State government, that I wish we could do biennial
appropriations so that we could do a little better planning on
the purchase and replacement of equipment and securing
contracts. In 10 years in State government, I never had any
success to do that, but, it's a dream, from an agency
perspective. I don't know how much more of a headache it gives
your staff, but it makes our job a little bit easier.
Senator Hoeven. Well, we'll ask the budget analysts to look
into the salary line.
And again, Mr. Chairman, as long as it is with your
agreement.
Senator Nelson. Sure.
Senator Hoeven. I agree on the 2-year--matter of fact, I'm
cosponsoring legislation to go to a 2-year budget cycle. So, I
absolutely agree with you. And anything we can do, in the
interim, without legislation, to look at that, I agree. I think
they're both good ideas. We'll see what we can do.
Mr. Gainer. Thank you.
Senator Nelson. I would agree. And I'm looking at perhaps
sponsoring that legislation, myself. We're looking at it
internally. But, having gone through biennial budgeting in the
past, it certainly would avoid having us make a pie a piece at
a time around here, the way we have to. We would have a more
comprehensive approach. I think you're absolutely on target.
And I hope many of my colleagues will feel the same way.
Mr. Gainer. Thank you, Sir.
CONCLUSION OF HEARINGS
Senator Nelson. Thank you.
Well, thanks, all of you. I appreciate it very much.
And we're recessed. Thank you.
[Whereupon, at 3 p.m., Thursday, May 12, the hearings were
concluded, and the subcommittee was recessed, to reconvene
subject to the call of the Chair.]
Disclaimer:
Please refer to the About page for more information.