Appropriations Committee Releases Fiscal Year 2022 Legislative Branch Funding Bill

The House Appropriations Committee today released the draft fiscal year 2022 Legislative Branch funding bill, which will be considered in subcommittee tomorrow. The legislation provides annual funding for the Legislative Branch of the United States government, including the United States House of Representatives, the Capitol Police, the Congressional Budget Office, and the Library of Congress. 

For fiscal year 2022, the draft bill appropriates a total of $4.802 billion, an increase of $581.9 million or 13.8 percent, over 2021. The legislation:

• Protects our democracy with funding, building on the emergency supplemental passed last month, to secure the United States Capitol
• Improves training and bolsters wellness support for the Capitol Police, who were attacked on January 6
• Strengthens Legislative Branch capacity by increasing funding for Congressional offices by 21 percent so they can recruit and retain a talented and diverse workforce
• Grows opportunity by increasing funding for internships to support more interns from working and middle-class families and allowing Dreamers to work in the Legislative Branch

“This legislation continues to modernize the House of Representatives and ensures we have the resources necessary to efficiently and effectively serve our constituents. I am proud that this legislation includes a $134 million increase for Members to hire and retain the staff needed to serve our constituents. I am also pleased that we are helping ensure our workforce reflects the diversity of our nation, including by increasing funding for paid internships and allowing DACA recipients to work in the halls of Congress,” said Legislative Branch Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Tim Ryan (D-OH-13). “I am pleased that this legislation increases transparency, diversity and leadership training for the United States Capitol Police and provides additional funding for the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, Office of Workplace Rights, the Wounded Warrior Program.”

“The United States Capitol is the heart of our democracy. This bill seeks to make it safe and secure. It also provides critical support for the Capitol Police, who were assaulted on January 6,” Appropriations Committee Chair Rosa DeLauro (D-CT-03) said. “A strong and well-functioning Legislative Branch is essential to our democracy, and this bill makes important investments to strengthen Congress as an institution. With work authorization for Dreamers and more funding for Congressional offices and paid internships, we will be able to recruit and retain a talented and diverse workforce to help Congress deliver for the people.”

A summary of the draft fiscal year 2022 Legislative Branch funding bill is below. The full text of the bill is here. (In keeping with longstanding practice whereby each chamber of Congress determines its own housekeeping requirements and the other concurs without intervention, the bill does not include funds for the Senate or for Senate office buildings). The subcommittee markup will be webcast live and linked from /events/markups.

Bill Summary:

House of Representatives – The bill provides a total of $1.715 billion in discretionary appropriations for the House of Representatives, an increase of $238 million above the FY 2021 enacted level.

• $744.4 million for the Members Representational Allowance (MRA), the basic office budgets of House Members, an increase of $134.4 million above the FY 2021 level.
   
• $34.95 million for the offices of the Majority and Minority Leadership, an increase of $6 million above the FY 2021 level.
   
• $15.9 million in funding for paid interns for Member and Leadership offices.  This allowance helps extend internship opportunities to people who may not be financially able to take an unpaid position.
   
• $197 million for the operations of House committees, an increase of $34.2 million above the FY 2021 level.  This appropriation will cover the funding allocated to committees for 2021 by the biennial funding resolution adopted by the House in the 1st session of the 117th Congress (H. Res. 316).
   
• $2.3 million in funding for newly created accounts to compensate 106 paid interns for House Committees.
   
• $288.5 million for the salaries and expenses of House officers and employees, including the offices of the Clerk of the House, Sergeant at Arms, Chief Administrative Officer (CAO), Parliamentarian, and Legislative Counsel, among others. This in an increase of $27.7 million above the FY 2021 level and $7.1 million above the request.
  • Within this funding, $27.7 million is provided for the Sergeant at Arms, $4.4 million above the FY 2021 level; $12.6 million for the Office of Legislative Counsel, $688,000 above the FY 2021 level; and $3 million for the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, $1.5 million above the FY 2021 level.
     
• $2 million for the House Modernization Initiatives Account to make Congress more effective, efficient, and transparent on behalf of the American people.
   
• $9.294 million for Wounded Warrior Program/Gold Star Families, an increase of $5.3 million above the FY 2021 level.

Other Agencies

• $60.9 million for the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), an increase of $3.7 million above the FY 2021 level. This funding level will allow CBO to be responsive to Committees, Leadership and Members to the greatest extent practicable and to modestly increase its efforts to improve modeling and analytical capability in key areas and to make its work as transparent and accessible as possible.
   
• $125.6 million for the Government Publishing Office, an increase of $8.6 million above the FY 2021 level.  This funding allows for the publishing of Congressional information in both digital and print formats.
    
• $8 million for the Office of Congressional Workplace Rights, an increase of $500,000 above the FY 2021 level to fulfill the Office’s responsibilities to implement the Congressional Accountability Reform Act, including enforcing laws against discrimination and sexual harassment.
   
• $729.3 million for the Government Accountability Office (GAO), an increase of $68.1 million above the FY 2021 level.  This funding should allow the GAO to bring on 190 additional staff, including for the Science, Technology Assessment and Analytics Team, to handle its large workload, and to begin to address its information technology and building renovation needs.
   
• $794.4 million, an increase of $37 million above the FY 2021 level, for the Library of Congress, including the Copyright Office, Congressional Research Service, and National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled.  This funding level will allow continued progress on urgent information technology needs and on modernization of systems for copyright registration and recordation and support ongoing Library initiatives such as the Veterans’ History Project.
   
• The bill includes $131.8 million for Congressional Research Service, an increase of $6.3 million above FY 2021 level.
   
• The bill includes $10 million for the third, and final installment of funding for the Library’s Visitor Experience initiative, subject to the Appropriations Committees’ review of the specific plans, cost estimates, and schedules for the initiative. It also includes $7.4 million for modernizing the infrastructure that handles distribution of audio and Braille reading materials at the National Library Service for the Blind and for purchase of braille e-readers.
   
• $738.3 million for the Architect of the Capitol, an increase of $152.8 million above the FY 2021 level.  (These totals do not include appropriations for Senate Office Buildings, which as is customary are left to the sole consideration of the Senate.)  Funding includes $93 million to continue restoration of the Cannon House Office Building. The report directs the Architect to prioritize removal of accessibility barriers and increase of number of single-stall public washroom facilities on the Capitol campus.
   
• $603.9 million for the Capitol Police, an increase of $88.4 million above the FY 2021 level and $15.3 million below the request. Funding will allow for the hiring of up to 2,112 sworn officers and 450 civilian members of the Capitol Police. The Committee report includes several significant measures to help bring more transparency, diversity, and leadership training, and standardize vetting and routinely review staff for employment suitability with the Capitol Police.
   

Important Policy Changes:

• Fostering equity and inclusion:
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  • Employment of DACA Recipients – The bill includes language permitting the Legislative Branch agencies it funds to employ Dreamers— residents of the United States brought to this country as children without proper immigration status—who hold employment authorization under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.
     
  • Removes Offensive Statues and Busts – The bill recognizes the need to confront the crisis of systemic racism. The bill includes language directing the Architect of the Capitol to remove statues or busts in the United States Capitol that represent figures who participated in the Confederate Army or government, as well as the statues of white supremacists Charles Aycock, John C. Calhoun, and James Paul Clarke and the bust of Roger B. Taney.
     
• Member Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) – The bill also includes a provision to prevent the automatic increase in the Cost of Living Increase for Members of Congress for fiscal year 2022.