Legislative Branch (112th Congress)

"Thank you, Chairman Crenshaw and Ranking Member Honda, for your hard work on the Legislative Branch bill.

"This bill funds the operations of the House, national treasures such as the Library of Congress, maintenance of the historic buildings we meet in, and the agencies which provide support to the Congress. While a strong Legislative Branch is crucial to our democracy, we must also be mindful of limited resources and do more with less here in Washington.

"The recommendation for FY12 provides $3.3 billion, excluding Senate items, which are traditionally left to the Senate to determine. This is a decrease of $227 million, or 6.4%, from the FY2011 enacted level and a decrease of $472 million, or 12.4%, from the requested level.