The Joint Committee on Printing, created by the act of August 3, 1846 (9 Stat. 114; 44 U.S.C. 101), is one of the oldest joint committees of the Congress. Composed of five Representatives and five Senators, the panel oversees the operations of the U.S. Government Publishing Office (GPO), whose support is essential to the legislative process of the Congress. The GPO also serves by law as the principal printing organization for Federal agencies, and so the Joint Committee generally oversees compliance by Federal agencies with laws, rules and regulations designed to minimize printing costs to the American people.