Legislative Branch: FY2017 Appropriations (CRS Report for Congress)
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Release Date |
Revised June 13, 2017 |
Report Number |
R44515 |
Report Type |
Report |
Authors |
Ida A. Brudnick, Specialist on the Congress |
Source Agency |
Congressional Research Service |
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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 FY2017 legislative branch budget request of $4.659 billion was submitted on February 9,
2016. By law, the President includes the legislative branch request in the annual budget
submission without change.
The House and Senate Appropriations Committees’ Legislative Branch Subcommittees held
hearings in March to consider the FY2017 legislative branch requests.
On April 20, 2016, 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 May 17, the House Appropriations Committee held a markup of the bill. Seven amendments
were considered: two were adopted, four were not adopted, and one was withdrawn. The bill was
ordered reported by voice vote. It would have provided $3.481 billion, not including Senate items
(H.R. 5325, H.Rept. 114-594).
On June 9, 2016, the House agreed to a structured rule for consideration of the legislative branch
bill (H.Res. 771), which made 13 amendments in order. During consideration of H.R. 5325, 10
amendments were offered. Six were agreed to (all voice votes), and four were not (all recorded
votes). H.R. 5325 was agreed to on June 10, with a vote of 233-175 (Roll no. 294).
On May 19, the Senate Appropriations Committee held a markup of its version of the FY2017
bill. It would have provided $3.021 billion, not including House items. The bill was reported by a
vote of 30-0 (S. 2955, S.Rept. 114-258).
The House- and Senate-proposed totals for legislative branch activities (including all House and
Senate items) differ by $37.0 million, with the House proposing $4.436 billion for FY2017 and
the Senate proposing $4.399 billion.
H.R. 5325 was not enacted, however, and funding for the beginning of FY2017 was provided by
three continuing resolutions (P.L. 114-223, through December 9, 2016; P.L. 114-254, through
April 28, 2017; and P.L. 115-30, through May 5, 2017).
The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2017 (P.L. 115-31), enacted on May 5, 2017, provides
$4.440 billion for legislative branch activities for FY2017 (+1.7% from FY2016).
The enacted FY2017 level remains nearly 5% below the FY2010 level, which was the peak of
legislative branch funding, not adjusted for inflation. 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 $125.1 million decrease (-2.7%) from FY2010.
The smallest of the appropriations bills, the legislative branch comprises approximately 0.4% of
total discretionary budget authority.