WASHINGTON – Yesterday, the Committee on House Administration, led by Chairman Robert Brady, D-Pa., and Ranking Republican Dan Lungren, R-Calif., held an all-day hearing on committee funding where Chairs and Ranking Members of House committees discussed the requests and allocations of their operational budgets for the 111th Congress. The hearing, which was held in preparation for the House resolution authorizing committee budgets, focused on increased budget accountability and commitments to an equitable division of funds between majority and minority committee offices.

Following the hearing, Chairman Robert Brady and Ranking Republican Dan Lungren issued the following statement:

"The Obama Administration, as well as House leadership, has vowed to operate in the most accountable, transparent manner in history. In keeping with the commitment of both the President and the Congress, it is incumbent upon House Administration, which is charged with authorizing committee budgets, to ensure House committees demonstrate the highest levels of accountability and transparency. We do not take this responsibility lightly, and we fully intend to work with Chairs and Ranking Republicans from each committee to make this a top priority.

"Congressional Committees must have the necessary staffing, resources and investigative tools to carry out their oversight responsibilities and we will make every effort to ensure that those resources are available. Many of our nation's current challenges can be traced back to insufficient oversight of key sectors of our economy and other vital areas of national interest. However, we are also living in unique and challenging economic times. More than ever, we must act as responsible stewards of taxpayer dollars. We will carefully consider all of the Committee budgeting requests and make determinations that balance all of these concerns.

"We are also pleased that the Chairs and Ranking Members of the respective Committees have agreed to report on their budget status after one year. These interim reports will provide a new and unparalleled degree of transparency, consistent with the focus and commitment of leadership on both sides of the aisle. We will continue to consider additional steps to encourage open, transparent committee operations.

"We are extremely pleased with the testimony provided by the Chairs and Ranking Republicans from the 17 House committees that testified Wednesday before House Administration. Their testimony indicated strong support for maintaining equitable budget allocations and a strong willingness to work with this Committee as we explore new measures to increase transparency and accountability to the American Public."

According to House Rule X, the Committee on House Administration is charged with the authorization of House committee budgets.

For more information, please contact the Committee press office at (202) 225-8281.