Committee Releases FY25 Legislative Branch Appropriations Bill
Washington, D.C. – Today, the House Appropriations Committee released the Fiscal Year 2025 bill for the Legislative Branch Subcommittee. The bill will be considered in subcommittee tomorrow, May 23rd at 8:30 a.m. The markup will be live-streamed and can be found on the Committee’s website.
Legislative Branch Subcommittee Chairman David Valadao said, “As the new Chairman of the Legislative Branch Subcommittee, it’s been an exciting few weeks working to draft a bill that ensures Congress is able to serve the American people. This legislation provides the resources needed for members to retain staff, serve constituents, and provide critical oversight of the Executive Branch. Importantly, the bill also fully funds sworn staffing needs for Capitol Police so they can keep the Capitol complex and all who work and visit here safe. Thank you to Chairman Cole for his leadership and guidance during this process. I look forward to working with my colleagues to get this bill across the finish line.”
Chairman Tom Cole said, “Our foremost duty is to our constituents, and this bill delivers resources to serve the American people. It supports operations central to our democracy and ensures Congress can execute strong oversight over the Biden Administration. The safety of the Capitol complex for visitors, work of the U.S. Capitol police, and operations of national institutions are also prioritized. Chairman Valadao has provided a measure that upholds the Legislative Branch’s capacity to effectively represent the public in a fiscally responsible manner.”
Fiscal Year 2025 Legislative Branch Appropriations Bill
The Legislative Branch Appropriations Bill provides a total discretionary allocation of $7.125 billion, which is $375 million (5.6%) above the Fiscal Year 2024 enacted level and over $130 million below the Fiscal Year 2025 request.
The bill strikes a delicate balance, maintaining essential resources for Congressional oversight of the Executive Branch in a fiscally responsible manner.
Key Takeaways
- Enables Congress to better serve the American people by:
- Maintaining investments to ensure U.S. House of Representatives committees can execute vigorous oversight over the Biden Administration.
- Ensuring adequate resources for Member offices, including funding for staffing and other office expenditures.
- Providing necessary funding for agencies that provide research and support for Members, including the Congressional Budget Office, Library of Congress, and Government Accountability Office.
- Increasing funding for recruiting and retaining sworn Capitol Police officers.
- Strengthens our national security by:
- Prohibiting the purchase of telecommunications equipment from the People’s Republic of China and other adversaries.
- Barring 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.
- Ensures fiscal responsibility by:
- Requiring unspent amounts from Members’ Representational Allowances (MRA) to be used for debt and deficit reduction.
- Restricting incentive or award payments to contractors for work on contracts or programs behind schedule or over budget.
- Prohibiting the use of funds for the maintenance or care of private vehicles.
- Supports American values and principles by:
- Maintaining restrictions on the use of funds for computer networks that do not block pornography.
- Eliminating the requirement for Members to use “low greenhouse gas emitting vehicles” for leased vehicles paid for with the MRA.
A summary of the bill is available here.
Bill text is available here.
