BILL SUMMARY: Legislative Branch Fiscal Year 2025 Appropriations Bill
Bill delivers resources to carry out Congress’ responsibilities, assist constituents, and keep the Capitol safe for all who work in it and come to visit
Washington, D.C. – The Fiscal Year 2025 Legislative Branch Appropriations Act provides $7 billion for the operations of the United States Senate and House, the United States Capitol Police, the Library of Congress, the Government Accountability Office, the U.S. Copyright Office, the Congressional Research Service, the Congressional Budget Office, the Architect of the Capitol, the Office of the Attending Physician, and other legislative branch agencies. Note that this total includes $2.086 billion in funding for the House of Representatives and House Office Buildings, which is not allocated within the draft Senate bill.
“This bill makes targeted investments in making the legislative branch more effective, serving the public, and holding the entire government to account,” said Senator Jack Reed (D-RI), Chair of the Legislative Branch Subcommittee. “The bill invests in key watchdog functions of non-partisan agencies like the Government Accountability Office, which helps enhance transparency and accountability throughout the federal government to save taxpayers money. It provides needed funding and infrastructure to safeguard the Capitol complex and keep it accessible to the public. The bill also invests in modernizing the Library of Congress. And it prioritizes operations at 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.”
“This bipartisan bill delivers the resources Congress needs to carry out our responsibilities as legislators—and to serve all our constituents back home,” said Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee. “This bill invests in keeping the Capitol complex safe for all who work in it and come to visit, and it invests in the brave Capitol Police officers who protect the campus each and every day. It also funds the essential nonpartisan expertise and research Congress relies on, and provides more funding to support government oversight and accountability.”
Key Points & Highlights
Capitol Police: The bill provides $833 million—$41 million over fiscal year 2024—for the United States Capitol Police (USCP) to protect the Capitol and everyone who works in it and comes to visit. This includes new resources to recruit, support, and retain a highly qualified workforce to protect the Capitol complex—including by supporting recruitment and retention incentives for USCP officers and funding its student loan repayment program. The bill provides funding to begin the implementation of the USCP’s Concept of Operations and for the Department’s continuity of operations efforts.
Security: The bill provides funding to address threats to members, their families, and staff to ensure that the work of the American people can be carried out safely—and provides resources to support state office operations and security to be able to best serve constituents. This includes funding for the USCP and Architect of the Capitol in preparation for the upcoming presidential inauguration.
The bill provides critical funding for the Architect of the Capitol to support Capitol complex physical security requirements to keep members, staff, and visitors safe, and it provides funds to support strong cybersecurity practices within congressional offices and legislative branch agencies.
Capitol Workforce: The bill provides key funding to support the workforce that keeps Congress and legislative branch agencies running. Notably, it provides funding for the Senate Sergeant at Arms (SSAA) to formally establish centralized intern resources within the SSAA’s operations and sustains $7 million in dedicated funding to pay Senate interns. Additionally, the bill extends PUMP Act protections for nursing mothers to the legislative branch.
Government Accountability Office (GAO): The bill provides $883.1 million for GAO—a $71.2 million increase over fiscal year 2024—to support the agency’s essential oversight and auditing responsibilities. As Congress’ independent, nonpartisan watchdog, GAO helps ensure federal programmatic and grant activities are executed in an efficient and effective manner as intended by law.
Congressional Budget Office (CBO): The bill provides $73 million—a $3 million increase over fiscal year 2024—to support CBO’s essential role in providing Congress with objective, timely, and nonpartisan analysis to inform budgetary and economic deliberations essential to the legislative process.
Congressional Research Service (CRS): The bill provides $141 million for CRS—$5 million above fiscal year 2024—to support its vital responsibility to provide Congress with expert, non-partisan policy and legal analysis.
Constituent Services: The bill sustains funding to support the operations of Senate offices and committees as they carry out their legislative and oversight responsibilities and provide services to constituents.
Campus Operations: The bill provides resources for the Architect of the Capitol to maintain Capitol complex buildings, grounds, and other facilities, and it funds key infrastructure and security requirements for the Capitol complex.
Library of Congress: The bill provides $611.9 million—a $20 million increase over fiscal year 2024—for the Library of Congress to continue its role as the primary research arm of Congress and as a resource available to the American people.
U.S. Copyright Office: The bill provides $106 million—a $3 million increase over fiscal year 2024—for the U.S. Copyright Office to fulfill its responsibilities administering the copyright processes for the country.
Office of Congressional Workplace Rights: The bill provides $8.2 million for the Office of Congressional Workplace Rights.
Member Pay: The bill continues a longstanding freeze on members’ pay.
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