LegiStorm

Summary:

The legislative branch appropriations bill provides funding for the Senate; House of Representatives; Joint Items; Capitol Police; Office of Compliance; Congressional Budget Office (CBO); Architect of the Capitol (AOC); Library of Congress (LOC), including the Congressional Research Service (CRS); Government Publishing Office (GPO); Government Accountability Office (GAO); Open World Leadership Center; and the John C. Stennis Center. The FY2018 legislative branch budget request of $4.865 billion was submitted on May 23, 2017. In general, FY2018 legislative branch budget requests were developed and submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) prior to the enactment of FY2017 funding. By law, the President includes the legislative branch request in the annual budget submission without change. On June 23, 2017, the House Appropriations Committee Legislative Branch Subcommittee held a markup of the draft bill. The bill was ordered reported to the full committee by voice vote. On June 29, the House Appropriations Committee held a markup of the bill. The bill was ordered reported by voice vote. It would have provided $3.580 billion, not including Senate items (H.R. 3162, H.Rept. 115-199). On July 18, the text of H.R. 3162 was included in a print issued by the House Rules Committee entitled, “Text of the Defense, Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, Legislative Branch, and Energy And Water Development National Security Appropriations Act, 2018” (Committee Print 115-30, which also contained the text of H.R. 3219, H.R. 2998, and H.R. 3266). On July 24 and 25, the House Rules Committee met to consider a special rule for the consideration of H.R. 3219, which included legislative branch funding as Division B. A total of 34 proposed amendments were considered by the committee (including 7 the committee considered late or late revised). Ten amendments to Division B were made in order. The rule for consideration (H.Res. 473, H.Rept. 115-259) was agreed to in the House on July 26, 2017. On July 26, the House proceeded to consideration of H.R. 3219. Of the 10 amendments to Division B made in order by H.Res. 473, 9 were offered (4 agreed to by voice vote, 2 failed by voice vote, and 3 failed by roll call vote). H.R. 3219 was passed in the House the next day. On July 27, the Senate Appropriations Committee reported S. 1648 (S.Rept. 115-137), which would have provided $3.171 billion, not including House items. On September 8, a continuing appropriations resolution providing funding for legislative branch activities through December 8, 2017, was enacted (P.L. 115-56). Additional continuing appropriations resolutions (P.L. 115-90, through December 22, 2017; P.L. 115-96, through January 19, 2018; P.L. 115-120, through February 8, 2018; and P.L. 115-123, through March 23, 2018) provided funding until the enactment of the FY2018 Consolidated Appropriations Act (P.L. 115-141). The act provides $4.700 billion for FY2018, an increase of $260.0 million (5.9%) from FY2017. The FY2017 level of $4.440 billion was an increase of $77.0 million (+1.7%) from FY2016. The FY2016 level of $4.363 billion represented an increase of $63 million (+1.5%) from the FY2015 level of $4.300 billion, and the FY2015 level represented an increase of $41.7 million (+1.0%) from the FY2014 funding level of $4.259 billion. The FY2013 act funded legislative branch accounts at the FY2012 enacted level, with some exceptions (also known as “anomalies”), less across-the-board rescissions that applied to all appropriations in the act, and not including sequestration reductions implemented on March 1. The FY2012 level of $4.307 billion represented a decrease of $236.9 million (-5.2%) from the FY2011 level, which itself represented a decrease of $125.1 million (-2.7%) from FY2010. The smallest of the appropriations bills, the legislative branch comprises approximately 0.4% of total discretionary budget authority.