| Committee | House Administration |
| Date | January 17, 2012 (112th Congress, 2nd Session) |
| Staff Contact | Andy Koenig |
On Tuesday, January 17, 2012, the House is scheduled to consider a resolution electing the Sergeant-at-Arms of the House of Representatives as a privileged resolution.
The resolution would elect Paul D. Irving as the Sergeant-at-Arms of the House of Representatives.
According to the House of Representatives Office of the Clerk, the Sergeant at Arms is the chamber’s principal law enforcement official, charged with maintaining security on the floor and for the House side of the Capitol complex. The modern Sergeant at Arms serves on the Capitol Police Board and the Capitol Guide Board along with the Senate Sergeant at Arms and the Architect of the Capitol. Mandated under the current House Rule II, the Sergeant at Arms also enforces protocol and ensures decorum during floor proceedings. In addition, the office’s duties encompass administrative functions such as arranging Capitol funerals, managing parking facilities, and issuing identification to Members and staff.
Paul D. Irving, 54, began his law enforcement career as a clerk in the FBI’s Los Angeles field office and, in 1983, joined the Secret Service as a special agent. He rose to a supervisory position on the Presidential Protective Detail and served as Deputy Assistant Director of the Secret Service for Congressional Affairs and Assistant Director for Government and Public Affairs. In 2003 he was detailed to the Executive Office of the President as a core member of the White House transition team responsible for assembling the Department of Homeland Security. Irving retired from the Service in 2008 as Assistant Director for Administration, with overall responsibility for budget formulation as well as direct oversight of the agency’s Chief Financial Officer, Chief Procurement Officer and Chief Property Officer. Mr. Irving would replace Wilson “Bill” Livingood, who will retire on January 17, 2012, after more than 17 years as the House’s top law enforcement official.
A CBO cost estimate was not available as of press time.