Joint Committee on the Library

Joint Committee on the Library

Summary

Mission:  
The Joint Committee on the Library is a Joint Committee of the United States Congress devoted to the affairs and administration of the Library of Congress, which is the library of the federal legislature. There are five members of each house on the committee. It has no subcommittees.

Democratic Senate Members (Minority):
Amy Klobuchar, Minnesota, Vice Chair
Mark Warner, Virginia
Jon Ossoff, Georgia

Democratic House Members (Minority):
Joe Morelle, New York
Terri Sewell, Alabama

Republican House Members (Majority):
Bryan Steil, Wisconsin, Chair
Mike Carey, Ohio
Mark Amodei, Nevada

Republican Senate Members ((Majority):
Deb Fischer, Nebraska
Bill Hagerty, Tennessee

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News

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Committee Press Releases and News

Majority Press Releases and news can be found here at the committee website.

Minority Press Releases and news can be found here at the committee website.

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Washington – Today, Committee on House Administration Chairman Candice Miller (R-MI), Ranking Member Robert Brady (D-PA), and Joint Committee on the Library Vice-Chairman Gregg Harper (R-Miss.) issued the following statement on the Senate’s vote confirming Dr. Carla Hayden to serve as the next Librarian of Congress:

“We congratulate Dr. Carla Hayden on her confirmation to serve as the 14th Librarian of Congress.  The Librarian is trusted with overseeing one of our nation’s most treasured institutions; an institution that is deeply rooted in the tradition of advancing knowledge throughout the world.  We look forward to working with Dr. Hayden as she leads the Library and undertakes the important task of collecting, preserving, and dispersing a vast collection of educational resources for today’s generation and the generations to come.”

About

Overview

The committee was originally established in 1806 (House Journal. 1806. 9th Cong., 1st sess., 27 February.) to support the expansion of a congressional library. In 1811, the committee was officially made permanent. It is Congress’s oldest continuing joint committee.

The Committee currently has oversight of the operations of the Library of Congress, as well as management of the congressional art collection, the National Statuary Hall Collection, and the United States Botanic Garden, but does not have legislative authority.

The committee is authorized to accept any work of the fine arts on behalf of Congress and designate a location in the United States Capitol for the work of art (pursuant to the Revised Statutes). This authority was expanded in 1875 to require that artwork that was not the property of the United States could not be displayed in the Capitol and that rooms in the Capitol cannot be used as private studios for works of art without written permission of the Committee. The Architect of the Capitol has the authority to enforce this provision.

On February 24, 1933, with the passage of House Concurrent Resolution No. 47, the Architect of the Capitol was authorized and directed to relocate within the Capitol any of the statues already received and placed in Statuary Hall, upon the approval of the Joint Committee on the Library, and to provide for the reception and location of statues received from the states. This provision was permanently enacted into law in 2000 in the legislative branch appropriations.

Membership consists of the chairman and four Members of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration, chairman and three Members of the Committee on House Administration and chairman (or his designee) of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on the Legislative Branch. The chairmanship of the Committee alternates between the House and Senate every two years, at the start of a new Congress.

Source: Wikipedia

Joint Committee of Congress on the Library Rules for the 116th Congress

Title I – Meetings of the Committee

  1. Regular meetings may be called by the Chair, with the concurrence of the Vice-Chair, as may be deemed necessary or pursuant to the provision of paragraph 3 of rule XXVI of the Standings Rules of the Senate.
  2. Meetings of the committee, including meetings to conduct hearings, shall be open to the public, except that a meeting or series of meetings by the committee on the same subject for a period of no more than 14 calendar days may be closed to the public on a motion made and seconded to go into closed session to discuss only whether the matters enumerated in subparagraphs (A) through (F) would require the meeting to be closed followed immediately by a recorded vote in open session by a majority of the members of the committee when it is determined that the matters to be discussed or the testimony to be taken at such meeting or meetings –
    1. (a) will disclose matters necessary to be kept secret in the interests of national defense or the confidential conduct of the foreign relations of the United States;
    2. (b) will relate solely to matters of the committee staff personal or internal staff management or procedures;
    3. (c) will tend to charge an individual with a crime or misconduct, to disgrace or injure the professional standing of an individual, or otherwise to expose an individual to public contempt or obloquy, or will represent a clearly unwarranted invasion of privacy of an individual;
    4. (d) will disclose the identity of any informer or law enforcement agent or will disclose any information relating to the investigation or prosecution of a criminal offense that is required to be kept secret in the interest of effective law enforcement;
    5. (e) will disclose information relating to the trade secrets or financial or commercial information pertaining specifically to a given person if – 1) an Act of Congress requires the information to be kept confidential by Government officers and employees; or 2) the information has been obtained by the Government on a confidential basis, other than through an application by such person for a specific Government financial or other benefit, and is required to be kept secret in order to prevent undue injury to the benefit, and is required to be kept secret in order to prevent undue injury to the competitive position of such person; or
    6. (f) may divulge matters required to kept confidential under the provisions of law or Government regulation. (Paragraph 5(b) of rule XXVI of the Standing Rules of the Senate.)
  3. Written notices of committee meetings will normally be sent by the committee’s staff director to all members at least 3 days in advance. In addition, the committee staff will email or telephone reminders of committee meetings to all members of the committee or to the appropriate staff assistants in their offices.
  4. A copy of the committee’s intended agenda enumerating separate items of committee business will normally be sent to all members of the committee by the staff director at least 1 day in advance of all meetings. This does not preclude any member of the committee from raising appropriate non-agenda topics.
  5. Any witness who is to appear before the committee in any hearing shall file with the clerk of the committee at least 3 business days before the date of his or her appearance, a written statement of his or her proposed testimony and an executive summary thereof, in such form as the Chair may direct, unless the Chair waived such a requirement for good cause.

Title II – Quorums

  1. Pursuant to paragraph 7(a)(1) of rule XXVI of the Standing Rules, 4 members of the committee shall constitute a quorum.
  2. Pursuant to paragraph 7(a)(2) of rule XXVI of the Standing Rules, 2 members of the committee shall constitute a quorum for the purpose of taking testimony; provided, however, once a quorum is established, any one member can continue to take such testimony.
  3. Under no circumstance may proxies be considered for the establishment of a quorum.

Title III – Voting

  1. Voting in the committee on any issue will normally be by voice vote.
  2. If a third of the members present so demand, a recorded vote will be taken on any question by roll call.
  3. The results of the roll call votes taken in any meeting upon a measure, or any amendment thereto, shall be stated in the committee report on that measure unless previously announced by the committee, and such report or announcement shall be include a tabulation of the votes cast in favor and the votes cast in opposition to each measure and amendment by each member of the committee. (Paragraph 7(b) and (c) of rule XXVI of the Standing Rules.)
  4. Proxy voting shall be allowed on all measures and matters before the committee. However, the vote of the committee to report a measure or matters shall require the concurrence of a majority of the members of the committee who are physically present at the time of the vote. Proxies will be allowed in such cases solely for the purpose of recording a member’s position on the question and then only in those instances when the absentee committee member has been informed of the question and has affirmatively requested that he be recorded. (Paragraph 7(a)(3) of rule XXVI of the Standing Rules.)

Title IV – Delegation and Authority to the Chair and Vice Chair

  1. The Chair and Vice Chair are authorized to sign all necessary vouchers and routine papers for which the committee’s approval is required and to decide in the committee’s behalf on all routine business.
  2. The Chair is authorized to engage commercial reporters for the preparation of transcripts of committee meetings and hearings.
  3. The Chair is authorized to issue, on behalf of the committee, regulations normally promulgated by the committee at the beginning of each session.

Source: Committee Website

Web Links

More Information

Wikipedia

The Joint Committee on the Library is a Joint Committee of the United States Congress devoted to the affairs and administration of the Library of Congress, which is the library of the federal legislature. There are five members of each house on the committee. It has no subcommittees.

The committee was originally established in 1806 (House Journal. 1806. 9th Cong., 1st sess., 27 February.) to support the expansion of a congressional library. In 1811, the committee was officially made permanent. It is Congress’s oldest continuing joint committee.[1]

The Committee currently has oversight of the operations of the Library of Congress, as well as management of the congressional art collection, the National Statuary Hall Collection, and the United States Botanic Garden, but does not have legislative authority.

The committee is authorized to accept any work of the fine arts on behalf of Congress and designate a location in the United States Capitol for the work of art (pursuant to the Revised Statutes). This authority was expanded in 1875 to require that artwork that was not the property of the United States could not be displayed in the Capitol and that rooms in the Capitol cannot be used as private studios for works of art without written permission of the Committee. The Architect of the Capitol has the authority to enforce this provision.

On February 24, 1933, with the passage of House Concurrent Resolution No. 47, the Architect of the Capitol was authorized and directed to relocate within the Capitol any of the statues already received and placed in Statuary Hall, upon the approval of the Joint Committee on the Library, and to provide for the reception and location of statues received from the states. This provision was permanently enacted into law in 2000 in the legislative branch appropriations.

Membership consists of the chair and four Members of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration, chair and three Members of the Committee on House Administration and chair (or his designee) of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on the Legislative Branch. The chair of the Committee alternates between the House and Senate every two years, at the start of a new Congress.[2]

Committee leadership

A list of former chairs/vice chairs and ranking members/vice ranking member since 1947 are below.[3]

Chairs

Wayland BrooksMary NortonTheodore GreenKarl LeCompteOmar BurlesonTheodore GreenOmar BurlesonTheodore GreenOmar BurlesonEverett JordanOmar BurlesonEverett JordanOmar BurlesonEverett JordanSamuel FriedelEverett JordanWayne HaysEverett JordanLucien NedziHoward CannonLucien NedziHoward CannonLucien NedziClay PellAugustus HawkinsMac MathiasFrank AnnunzioClay PellFrank AnnunzioClay PellCharlie RoseMark HatfieldBill ThomasTed StevensVern EhlersTed StevensVern EhlersDianne FeinsteinBob BradyChuck SchumerGregg HarperRoy BluntGregg HarperRoy BluntZoe LofgrenAmy KlobucharBryan Steil
NamePartyStateStartEndChamber
RepublicanIL19471949Senate
DemocraticNJ19491951House
DemocraticRI19511953Senate
RepublicanIL19531955House
DemocraticTX19551956House
DemocraticRI19561957Senate
DemocraticTX19571958House
DemocraticRI19581960Senate
DemocraticTX19601964House
DemocraticNC19641965Senate
DemocraticTX19651966House
DemocraticNC19661967Senate
DemocraticTX19671968House
DemocraticNC19681969Senate
DemocraticMD19691970House
DemocraticNC19701971Senate
DemocraticOH19711972House
DemocraticNC19721973Senate
DemocraticMI19731974House
DemocraticNV19741975Senate
DemocraticMI19751976House
DemocraticNV19761977Senate
DemocraticMI19771979House
DemocraticRI19791981Senate
DemocraticCA19811983House
RepublicanMD19831985Senate
DemocraticIL19851987House
DemocraticRI19871989Senate
DemocraticIL19891991House
DemocraticRI19911993Senate
DemocraticNC19931995House
RepublicanOR19951997Senate
RepublicanCA19971999House
RepublicanAK19992001Senate
RepublicanMI20012003House
RepublicanAK20032005Senate
RepublicanMI20052007House
DemocraticCA20072009Senate
DemocraticPA20092011House
DemocraticNY20112013Senate
RepublicanMS20132015House
RepublicanMO20152017Senate
RepublicanMS20172019House
RepublicanMO20192021Senate
DemocraticCA20212023House
DemocraticMN20232025Senate
RepublicanWI2025presentHouse

Vice Chairs

Karl LeCompteTheodore GreenThomas StanleyWilliam PurtellWilliam JennerTheodore GreenOmar BurlesonTheodore GreenOmar BurlesonTheodore GreenMike MansfieldEverett JordanOmar BurlesonEverett JordanOmar BurlesonEverett JordanOmar BurlesonPaul JonesEverett JordanSamuel FriedelEverett JordanWayne HaysHoward CannonLucien NedziHoward CannonLucien NedziHoward CannonLucien NedziMac MathiasAugustus HawkinsAl SwiftMac MathiasFrank AnnunzioClay PellCharlie RoseClay PellBill ThomasTed StevensBill ThomasTed StevensChris DoddVern EhlersTed StevensJuanita Millender-McDonaldBob BradyChuck SchumerGregg HarperChuck SchumerGregg HarperDick ShelbyRoy BluntZoe LofgrenAmy KlobucharBryan SteilMitch McConnell
NamePartyStateStartEndChamber
RepublicanIL19471949House
DemocraticRI19491951Senate
DemocraticVA19511953House
RepublicanCT19531954Senate
RepublicanIN19541955Senate
DemocraticRI19551956Senate
DemocraticTX19561957Senate
DemocraticRI19571958Senate
DemocraticTX19581960House
DemocraticRI19601961Senate
DemocraticMT19611963Senate
DemocraticNC19631964Senate
DemocraticTX19641965House
DemocraticNC19651966Senate
DemocraticTX19661967House
DemocraticNC19671968Senate
DemocraticTX1968House
DemocraticMO19681969House
DemocraticNC19691970Senate
DemocraticMD19701971House
DemocraticNC19711972Senate
DemocraticOH19721973House
DemocraticNV19731974Senate
DemocraticMI19741975House
DemocraticNV19751976Senate
DemocraticMI19761977House
DemocraticNV19771979Senate
DemocraticMI19791981House
RepublicanMD19811983Senate
DemocraticCA19831984House
DemocraticWA19841985House
RepublicanMD19851987Senate
DemocraticIL19871989House
DemocraticRI19891991Senate
DemocraticNC19911993House
DemocraticRI19931995Senate
RepublicanCA19951997House
RepublicanAK19971999Senate
RepublicanCA19992001House
RepublicanAK2001Senate
DemocraticCT20012003Senate
RepublicanMI20032005House
RepublicanAK20052007Senate
DemocraticCA2007House
DemocraticPA20072009House
DemocraticNY20092011Senate
RepublicanMS20112013House
DemocraticNY20132015Senate
RepublicanMS20152017House
RepublicanAL20172018Senate
RepublicanMO20182019Senate
DemocraticCA20192021House
DemocraticMN20212023Senate
RepublicanWI20232025House
RepublicanKY2025presentSenate

Ranking Members

Mary NortonIrving IvesHenry LodgeKarl LeCompteTheodore GreenFrank BarrettKarl LeCompteCarl CurtisKarl LeComptePaul SchenckThruston MortonKenneth KeatingEverett DirksenJohn CooperPaul SchenckJohn CooperGlenard LipscombJohn CooperGlenard LipscombJohn CooperFred SchwengelJohn CooperFred SchwengelMarlow CookSamuel DevineMark HatfieldSamuel DevineRobert GriffinSamuel DevineDavid StockmanClay PellNewt GingrichDan InouyeNewt GingrichMark HatfieldBill Barrettstyle=\”color:black;background-color:</span><span typeof=\”mw:Nowiki\” about=\”#mwt562\”></span><span about=\”#mwt562\”>#B0CEFF\”</span>”},{“html”:””}]]}’>

Dan MoynihanSteny HoyerChris DoddTed StevensJohn LarsonChris DoddVern EhlersBob BennettZoe LofgrenPat RobertsBob BradyAmy KlobucharRodney DavisRoy BluntJoe MorelleAlex Padilla
NamePartyStateStartEndChamber
DemocraticNJ19471949House
RepublicanNY19491950Senate
RepublicanMA19501951Senate
RepublicanIL19511953House
DemocraticRI19531955Senate
RepublicanWY19551956Senate
RepublicanIL19561957House
RepublicanNE19571958Senate
RepublicanIL19581959House
RepublicanOH19591960House
RepublicanKY1960Senate
RepublicanNY19601962Senate
RepublicanIL19621963Senate
RepublicanKY19631964Senate
RepublicanOH19641965House
RepublicanKY19651966Senate
RepublicanCA19661967House
RepublicanKY19671968Senate
RepublicanCA19681969House
RepublicanKY19691970Senate
RepublicanIA19701971House
RepublicanKY19711972Senate
RepublicanIA19721973House
RepublicanKY19731974Senate
RepublicanOH19741975House
RepublicanOR19751976Senate
RepublicanOH19761977House
RepublicanMI19771979Senate
RepublicanOH1979House
RepublicanMI19791981House
DemocraticRI19811983Senate
RepublicanGA19831985House
DemocraticHI19851987Senate
RepublicanGA19871989House
RepublicanOR19891991Senate
RepublicanNE19911993House
???Democratic19951997House
DemocraticNY19971999Senate
DemocraticMD19992001House
DemocraticCT2001Senate
RepublicanAK20012003Senate
DemocraticCT20032005House
DemocraticCT20052007Senate
RepublicanMI20072009House
RepublicanUT20092011Senate
DemocraticCA20112013House
RepublicanKS20132015Senate
DemocraticPA20152017House
DemocraticMN20172019Senate
RepublicanIL20192021House
RepublicanMO20212023Senate
DemocraticNY20232025House
DemocraticCA2025presentSenate

Vice Ranking Members

Theodore GreenKarl LeCompteHenry LodgeKenneth ReganKarl LeCompteFrank BarrettKarl LeCompteCarl CurtisThruston MortonPaul SchenckJohn CooperGlenard LipscombJohn CooperGlenard LipscombJohn CooperRobert CorbettFred SchwengelJohn CooperFred SchwengelJohn CooperJames HarveySamuel DevineMarlow CookSamuel DevineMark HatfieldSamuel DevineHoward BakerNewt GingrichDan InouyeNewt GingrichMark HatfieldPaul GillmorMark Hatfieldstyle=\”color:black;background-color:</span><span typeof=\”mw:Nowiki\” about=\”#mwt764\”></span><span about=\”#mwt764\”>#B0CEFF\”</span>”},{“html”:””}]]}’>

Carolyn KilpatrickChris DoddSteny HoyerChris DoddJuanita Millender-McDonaldBob BennettGregg HarperLamar AlexanderBob BradyChuck SchumerBob BradyAmy KlobucharRodney DavisDeb FischerJoe Morelle
NamePartyStateStartEndChamber
DemocraticRI19471949Senate
RepublicanIL19491951House
RepublicanMA19511953Senate
DemocraticTX19531955House
RepublicanIL19551956House
RepublicanWY19561957Senate
RepublicanIL19571958House
RepublicanNE19581959Senate
RepublicanKY19591960Senate
RepublicanOH19601964House
RepublicanKY19641965Senate
RepublicanCA19651966House
RepublicanKY19661967Senate
RepublicanCA19671968House
RepublicanKY19681969Senate
RepublicanPA1969House
RepublicanIA19691970House
RepublicanKY19701971Senate
RepublicanIA19711972House
RepublicanKY19721973Senate
RepublicanMI1973House
RepublicanOH19731974House
RepublicanKY1974Senate
RepublicanOH19751976House
RepublicanOR19761977Senate
RepublicanOH19771979House
RepublicanTN19791981Senate
RepublicanGA19811983House
DemocraticHI19831985Senate
RepublicanGA19851987House
RepublicanOR19871989Senate
RepublicanOH19891991House
RepublicanOR19911993Senate
???Democratic19951997Senate
DemocraticMI19971999House
DemocraticCT19992001Senate
DemocraticMD20012003House
DemocraticCT20032005Senate
DemocraticCA20052007House
RepublicanUT20072009Senate
RepublicanMS20092011House
RepublicanTN20112013Senate
DemocraticPA20132015House
DemocraticNY20152017Senate
DemocraticPA20172019House
DemocraticMN20192021Senate
RepublicanIL20212023House
RepublicanNE20232025Senate
DemocraticNY2025presentHouse

118th Congress

The following members currently serve on the Joint Committee on the Library for the 118th United States Congress.

Members

Members, 118th Congress[2][4]
MajorityMinority
Senate
members
style=\”color:black; background-color:</span><span typeof=\”mw:Nowiki\” about=\”#mwt830\”></span><span about=\”#mwt830\”>#FFB6B6\”</span>”},{“html”:””}]]}’>

House
members
Bryan Steil, Wisconsin, Chair
  • Mike Carey, Ohio
  • Mark Amodei, Nevada
  • [2][4]
    MajorityMinority
    Senate
    members
    style=\”color:black; background-color:</span><span typeof=\”mw:Nowiki\” about=\”#mwt841\”></span><span about=\”#mwt841\”>#FFB6B6\”</span>”},{“html”:””}]]}’>

    House
    members
    Zoe Lofgren, California, Chair
  • Tim Ryan, Ohio
  • G. K. Butterfield, North Carolina
  • [5]

    Members, 116th Congress[2][4]
    MajorityMinority
    Senate
    members
    style=\”color:black;background-color:</span><span typeof=\”mw:Nowiki\” about=\”#mwt857\”></span><span about=\”#mwt857\”>#B0CEFF\”</span>”},{“html”:””}]]}’>

    House
    members
    Zoe Lofgren, California, Vice Chair
  • Tim Ryan, Ohio
  • G. K. Butterfield, North Carolina
  • [2][6][7]
    MajorityMinority
    Senate
    members
    style=\”color:black;background-color:</span><span typeof=\”mw:Nowiki\” about=\”#mwt876\”></span><span about=\”#mwt876\”>#B0CEFF\”</span>”},{“html”:””}]]}’>

    House
    members
    style=\”color:black;background-color:</span><span typeof=\”mw:Nowiki\” about=\”#mwt882\”></span><span about=\”#mwt882\”>#B0CEFF\”</span>”},{“html”:””}]]}’>

    Fine arts introduced

    The following resolutions were introduced for displaying fine arts in the United States Capitol during the 115th United States Congress.

    114th Congress

    The 114th United States Congress served from January 3, 2015, to January 3, 2017.

    Members

    The following members served on the Joint Committee on the Library for the 114th United States Congress.

    Members, 114th Congress[12][13][14]
    MajorityMinority
    Senate
    members
    style=\”color:black;background-color:</span><span typeof=\”mw:Nowiki\” about=\”#mwt902\”></span><span about=\”#mwt902\”>#B0CEFF\”</span>”},{“html”:””}]]}’>

    House
    members
    style=\”color:black;background-color:</span><span typeof=\”mw:Nowiki\” about=\”#mwt908\”></span><span about=\”#mwt908\”>#B0CEFF\”</span>”},{“html”:””}]]}’>

    Fine arts introduced

    The following resolutions were introduced for displaying fine arts in the United States Capitol during the 114th United States Congress.

    113th Congress

    The 113th United States Congress served from January 3, 2013, to January 3, 2015.

    Members

    The following members served on the Joint Committee on the Library for the 113th United States Congress.

    Members, 113th Congress[19][20][21]
    MajorityMinority
    Senate
    members
    style=\”color:black; background-color:</span><span typeof=\”mw:Nowiki\” about=\”#mwt928\”></span><span about=\”#mwt928\”>#FFB6B6\”</span>”},{“html”:””}]]}’>

    House
    members
    style=\”color:black;background-color:</span><span typeof=\”mw:Nowiki\” about=\”#mwt934\”></span><span about=\”#mwt934\”>#B0CEFF\”</span>”},{“html”:””}]]}’>

    Fine arts introduced

    The following resolutions were introduced for displaying fine arts in the United States Capitol during the 113th United States Congress.

    References


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