LegiStorm

Summary:

The legislative branch appropriations bill provides funding for the Senate; House of Representatives; Joint Items; Capitol Police; Office of Congressional Workplace Rights (formerly 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 legislative branch budget request was submitted on March 11, 2019. Following hearings in the House and Senate in February, March, and April, the House Appropriations Committee Subcommittee on the Legislative Branch held a markup on May 1, 2019. No amendments were considered, and the bill was ordered reported to the full committee by voice vote. On May 9, 2019, the House Appropriations Committee held a markup of the bill. Two manager's amendments were considered. The first amendment was adopted by voice vote. The second amendment was adopted by voice vote after an amendment to the amendment was not adopted (23-28). The bill was ordered reported (H.Rept. 116-64; H.R. 2779). As amended, the bill would have provided $3.972 billion, not including Senate items (+$164.2 million). On June 3, the House Committee on Rules announced its intention to consider and report a resolution that would structure the consideration in the House of H.R. 2740, the Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education appropriations bill. The committee indicated that the resolution would add the text of four additional appropriations bills to the text of H.R. 2740, including the text of H.R. 2779 as Division B. Although draft amendments were submitted related to legislative branch appropriations, that division was stricken prior to consideration of H.R. 2740 on the House floor. On September 26, the Senate Appropriations Committee met to mark up its version of the FY2020 legislative branch appropriations bill. It reported the bill on the same day by recorded vote (31-0). S. 2581 (S.Rept. 116-124) would have provided $3.600 billion, not including House items (+$187.6 million). Continuing appropriations resolutions (P.L. 116-59 and P.L. 116-69) provided funding for legislative branch activities until the enactment of P.L. 116-94 on December 20, 2019. Division E provides $5.049 billion (+$202.8 million, or +4.2%, from the FY2019 level). Additional language related to the legislative branch was included in Division P. During consideration of the FY2020 funding levels, Congress also considered $10.0 million in FY2019 supplemental appropriations for GAO for audits and investigations related to storms and disasters (P.L. 116-20, enacted June 6, 2019). Previously, over the last decade The FY2019 level of $4.836 billion represented an increase of $136.0 million (+2.9%) from FY2018, not including the FY2019 supplemental. The FY2018 level of $4.700 billion represented an increase of $260.0 million (+5.9%) from FY2017. The FY2017 level of $4.440 billion represented increase of $77.0 million (+1.7%) from FY2016. The FY2016 level of $4.363 billion represented an increase of $63.0 million (+1.5%) from FY2015. The FY2015 level of $4.300 billion represented an increase of $41.7 million (+1.0%) from FY2014. The FY2014 level of $4.259 billion represented an increase of $198 million (+4.9%) from FY2013. The FY2013 level of $4.061 billion represented a decrease of $246 million (-5.6%), including the sequestration and rescission, from FY2012. The FY2012 level of $4.307 billion represented a decrease of $236.9 million (-5.2%) from FY2011. The FY2011 level of $4.543 billion represented a decrease of $125.1 million (-2.7%) from the $4.669 billion provided for FY2010. The smallest of the appropriations bills, the legislative branch bill comprises approximately 0.4% of total discretionary budget authority.