Senate Committee Approves FY 2026 Legislative Branch Appropriations Act

The U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations has approved the Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, providing $7.1 billion in discretionary funding for legislative branch agencies. The bill, approved by a vote of 26-1, includes support for physical and cyber security, technology infrastructure, and overall legislative work capacity. The funding will benefit various agencies, including the U.S. Senate, U.S. Capitol Police, Congressional Budget Office, Architect of the Capitol, Library of Congress, and Government Accountability Office.

Key Takeaways:

• The FY 2026 Legislative Branch Appropriations Act provides $7.1 billion in discretionary funding for legislative branch agencies, including $1.47 billion to support the U.S. Senate and $855 million for the U.S. Capitol Police.
• The bill includes $71 million for the Congressional Budget Office to expand transparency efforts and responsiveness to Congressional requests.
• The Architect of the Capitol will receive $698 million for the maintenance, preservation, and physical security of the Capitol complex.
• The Library of Congress will receive $852 million, including $136 million for the Congressional Research Service and $66 million for the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled.
• The Government Accountability Office will receive $812 million to support GAO's oversight of federal expenditure of taxpayer dollars.
• The bill retains provisions prohibiting the acquisition of telecommunications equipment from Huawei or ZTE Corporation and prohibits the purchase of drones manufactured in China by the U.S. Capitol Police and the Architect of the Capitol.
• The bill advances strategic investments to strengthen the capacity of the Legislative Branch and its agencies to work on behalf of the American people.

Statistics:

• $7.1 billion: Total discretionary funding for legislative branch agencies in FY 2026.
• $1.47 billion: Funding for the U.S. Senate to support legislative and oversight capacity.
• $855 million: Funding for the U.S. Capitol Police to support the most mission-critical requirements.
• $71 million: Funding for the Congressional Budget Office to expand transparency efforts and responsiveness to Congressional requests.
• $698 million: Funding for the Architect of the Capitol to maintain, preserve, and secure the Capitol complex.
• $852 million: Funding for the Library of Congress, including $136 million for the Congressional Research Service and $66 million for the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled.
• $812 million: Funding for the Government Accountability Office to support GAO's oversight of federal expenditure of taxpayer dollars.

Sources:

• U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations