Valadao Remarks at Budget Hearing on Library of Congress & U.S. Government Publishing Office
The subject of today’s hearing is the Fiscal Year 2027 budget requests for the Library of Congress and the U.S. Government Publishing Office (GPO).
Today’s hearing marks the beginning of the Subcommittee’s Fiscal Year 2027 appropriations hearing season. In addition to our hearings being broadcast live, this hearing will include a closed captioning option. Last year the House Modernization and Innovation Subcommittee recommended this technology for all committees across the House. As the Chairman of the Subcommittee that provides the funding for modernization projects, I was pleased to approve the funds, providing greater accessibility to those participating in committee hearings.
I’d like to thank Ranking Member Espaillat and our Committee Members for being here today. I particularly appreciate your flexibility with the schedule and for remaining in town for this important hearing. I’d also like to thank Mr. Robert Newlen, the Acting Librarian of Congress, and Director Halpern from the U.S. Government Publishing Office for being here today and for accommodating the hearing schedule change.
The Library is looking forward to an exciting year of celebrating America’s 250th birthday with a new exhibition entitled “The Declaration’s Promise” opening in July. The Government Publishing Office is celebrating its 165th birthday this week. 2026 also marks the 100th anniversary of GPO’s production of the U.S. passport. We appreciate the efforts of each of your staff for the work they do to help Congress and to celebrate this historic American milestone.
The Library of Congress Fiscal Year 2027 budget request, with offsetting amounts, totals $931.5 million, a 3.8% increase from the enacted FY 2026 funding. The requested budget would support the professionals and staff across the Library, including the Congressional Research Service. The Library’s request also includes modest investments in technology, including AI, cybersecurity, and cloud improvements, and other efforts to modernize Library systems.
The Government Publishing Office has requested flat funding of $132 million for Fiscal Year 2027. Director Halpern – congratulations! A flat budget request isn’t something I see very often in this chair! The GPO request was developed utilizing zero-based budgeting as directed by this Subcommittee, utilizing savings through enhanced technologies, including AI, while also absorbing increased raw material and labor costs. Thank you again for joining us today, and I look forward to hearing your testimonies and learning more about your budget priorities for Fiscal Year 2027.
I now recognize Ranking Member Espaillat for his opening remarks.
