Should Congress cut funding for the Legislative Branch in 2024?

Government Operations (e.g., Election Laws)
Legislative Branch Appropriations Act (H.R. 4364)
This bill has Passed the House of Representatives
Bill Summary

The Legislative Branch Appropriations Act is part of a series of bills establishing funding for the federal government in 2024. This particular bill provides a total of $6.7 billion to fund Congress and its various programs, including the Congressional Budget Office, the Architect of the Capitol, the Government Accountability Office, and Capitol Police. The $6.7 billion cost is down slightly from 2023 levels, largely due to cutting security systems implemented following the January 6 Capitol Attack. Sponsor: Rep. Mark Amodei (Republican, Nevada, District 2)
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Opponents say

•      "By rolling back the overall number for Leg[islative] Branch below fiscal year 2023 levels, this bill does not reinvest those dollar savings towards the retention and recruitment of staff, additional security enhancements, or other infrastructure needs. This bill retains but does not reflect growth. Considering the recent attack on two Congressional staffers in Virginia, the Sergeant at Arms must take a comprehensive look at the district office security program. I feel strongly that the scope of the program should be expanded so that Members can implement security enhancements at more than just one district office." Source: Rep. Adriano Espaillat (Democrat, New York, District 13), Ranking Member of the House Legislative Branch Subcommittee 


•      "Let me emphasize: the House Republicans have pledged to cut critical programs by $142 billion. And by the majority’s estimate, the bill before us today cuts more than $250 million from the Legislative Branch. Because we have not been given information about the cuts being proposed by Republicans, that means the other appropriations bills still must bear – $142 billion in cuts… Simply put, the Republicans’ plan is a house of cards.  Beyond the fact that we cannot support bills when we only know the smallest piece of the overall funding puzzle, this bill falls short of ensuring we can sustain a strong and well-functioning Legislative Branch that is essential to our democracy. This bill rolls back progress made in recent years, does not fully fund personnel needs as requested for the United States Capitol Police, zeroes out funding for the Office of Diversity and Inclusion… and does nothing to facilitate… collective bargaining rights for Congressional staffers. We made progress last Congress – but this bill takes us back." Source: Rep. Rosa DeLauro (Democrat, Connecticut, District 3), Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Committee

Proponents say

•      "Working under difficult fiscal constraints, we managed to advance a bipartisan bill that will strengthen institutions of democracy and boost the legislative branch’s capacity to better serve the public. This bill delivers funding, staffing levels, and infrastructure needed to ensure the safety of the U.S. Capitol complex and keep it accessible and open to the public. In addition to upgrading Congress’ physical security and cyber defenses, it also maintains the capacity of important legislative branch agencies, such as the non-partisan watchdog Government Accountability Office, which helps enhance transparency and accountability throughout the federal government to save taxpayers money. It also makes needed investments to modernize the people’s public library—the Library of Congress. And it prioritizes operations at places like the Congressional Budget Office, the Joint Economic Committee, and Government Publishing Office, which are crucial to providing lawmakers with trusted information and keeping the American public well-informed." Source: Sen. Jack Reed (Democrat, Rhode Island), Chair of the Senate Legislative Branch Subcommittee and sponsor of an equivalent Senate bill


•      "[H.R. 4364] provides adequate resources to ensure Members of Congress can effectively serve their constituents and maintains funding for House Committees to make certain that essential oversight responsibilities are upheld - which is more important than ever with President Biden in the White House. And with the Capitol complex finally open to the public along with the heightened threats on Members and Congressional staff, the mission of our Capitol Police has never been more in focus. With that said, I am proud that this bill also increases funding to help the Capitol Police recruit, train, and retain officers. I am grateful to my colleagues on the subcommittee for engaging in frank and transparent conversations during today’s markup, and I look forward to seeing this bill make its way through the entire process." Source: Rep. Mark Amodei (Republican, Nevada, District 2), Chair of the House Legislative Branch Subcommittee and sponsor of the bill

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