United States Congress Joint Committee on the Library
The Joint Committee on the Library is a joint committee of the US Congress that deals with the administration and oversight of the Library of Congress . The committee consists of five members each from the Senate and the House of Representatives .
House and Senate established the joint committee in 1802 to support the expansion of the Library of Congress. He oversees the work of the library, as well as the management of the art collection of Congress and that of the United States Botanic Garden , but has no legislative functions.
The joint committee receives every work of art for the Congress and selects a place for it in the Capitol . Since 1875, only works of art owned by the United States have been allowed in the Capitol; The approval of the Joint Committee is required to use rooms in the Capitol for artistic purposes. The " Capitol Architect " (a title, not the actual architect) enforces these rules.
Membership in the committee is determined ex officio . It consists of the chairman and four members of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration , as well as the chairman and three members of the Committee on House Administration and the chairman (or a delegated representative) of the House Committee on Appropriations . The chairmanship of the joint committee alternates after each election between a member of the House of Representatives and a senator. The ranking minority member is always the member of the opposition party with the longest term of office in both houses of the congress.