FY '24 Spending: Legislative Branch
Legislative Branch Appropriations Act of 2024 -- Republican's Summary
The Legislative Branch Appropriations Act provides a total discretionary allocation of $6.75 billion, which is $150 million (2.2%) below the Fiscal Year 2023 enacted level and $389.7 million (5.5%) below the Fiscal Year 2024 request.
The Act strikes a delicate balance, maintaining essential resources for Congressional oversight of the Executive Branch but doing so in a fiscally responsible manner.
TOP LINE MESSAGING
Refocuses Washington spending and cuts wasteful bureaucracy by:
- Facilitating a reorganization of the Chief Administrative Office, including a restructuring of the Office of Diversity and Inclusion that saves taxpayer dollars.
- Reining in bureaucratic growth at Legislative Branch agencies, reversing the trend of nearly 10% growth over the last five fiscal years, instead shrinking that bureaucracy by 2.2% this fiscal year.
Bolsters our national security by:
- Prohibiting the purchase of drones manufactured in the People’s Republic of China or by a business affiliated with the People’s Republic of China, except as allowed for national security purposes.
Supports American values and principles by:
- Sustaining critical oversight funding for the House of Representatives so it can hold the Biden Administration accountable.
LEGACY RIDERS MAINTAINED
Maintains longstanding, bipartisan riders, including those that:
- Require unspent amounts from Members’ Representational Allowances to be used for debt and deficit reduction.
- Restrict funds from being used to make incentive or award payments to contractors for work on contracts or programs that are behind schedule or over budget.
- Restrict the use of funds for computer networks that do not block pornography.
- Prohibit the use of funds for the maintenance or care of private vehicles.
- Prevent the purchasing of telecommunications equipment from China and other adversaries.
DEMOCRAT POISON PILLS REJECTED
Rejects harmful Democrat policies that would have continued to spend $3.5 million on mismanaged diversity initiatives.
(Source: House Appropriations Committee)
Legislative Branch Appropriations Act of 2024 -- Democrat's Summary
Key Points & Highlights
Capitol Police: The bill provides $792 million—$56.9 million over fiscal year 2023— for the United States Capitol Police (USCP) to protect the Capitol and everyone who works in it and comes to visit. This includes resources to recruit, support, and retain a highly qualified workforce to protect the Capitol complex—including by supporting recruitment and retention incentives for USCP officers, re-implementing USCP’s tuition reimbursement program, and funding its student loan repayment program.
Security: The bill also provides funding to address threats to members, their families, and staff to ensure that the work of the American people can be carried out safely—and provides resources to support state office operations and security to be able to best serve constituents.
The bill provides critical funding for the Architect of the Capitol to support Capitol complex physical security requirements to keep members, staff, and visitors safe, and provides funds to support strong cybersecurity practices within congressional offices and legislative branch agencies.
Capitol Workforce: The bill provides key funding to support the workforce that keeps Congress and legislative branch agencies running. Notably, it provides $1 million in new funding to retrofit lactation rooms across the Capitol complex for nursing mothers, and it provides Senate offices with the authority for the first time ever to use their existing budgets to provide child care subsidies to staff. Importantly, the bill also sustains $7 million in dedicated funding to pay Senate interns.
Government Accountability Office (GAO): The bill provides $811.9 million for GAO—a $21.5 million increase over fiscal year 2023—to support the agency’s essential oversight and auditing responsibilities. As Congress’ independent, nonpartisan watchdog, GAO helps ensure federal programmatic and grant activities are executed in an efficient and effective manner as intended by law.
Congressional Budget Office (CBO): The bill provides $70 million—a $6.8 million increase over fiscal year 2023—to support CBO’s essential role providing Congress with objective, timely, and non-partisan analysis to inform budgetary and economic deliberations essential to the legislative process.
Congressional Research Service (CRS): The bill provides $136 million for CRS— $2.5 million above fiscal year 2023—to support its vital responsibility to provide Congress with expert, non-partisan policy and legal analysis.
Constituent Services: The bill sustains funding to support the operations of Senate and House offices and committees as they carry out their legislative and oversight responsibilities and provide services to constituents.
Campus Operations: The bill provides resources for the Architect of the Capitol to maintain Capitol complex buildings, grounds, and other facilities, and it funds key infrastructure and security requirements for the Capitol complex.
Library of Congress: The bill provides $591 million—a $9.2 million increase over fiscal year 2023—for the Library of Congress to continue its role as the primary research arm of Congress and as a resource available to the American people.
U.S. Copyright Office: The bill provides $103 million—a $2 million increase over fiscal year 2023—for the U.S. Copyright Office to fulfill its responsibilities administering the copyright processes for the country.
Office of Congressional Workplace Rights: The bill provides $8.15 million— $150,000 above fiscal year 2023—for the Office of Congressional Workplace Rights.
Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies: The bill establishes and funds the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies of 2025, which is responsible for the planning and execution of the Inaugural Ceremonies of the President-elect and Vice President-elect at the Capitol.
Member Pay: The bill continues a longstanding freeze on members’ pay.
(Source: Senate Appropriations Committee)
