Statements

“House Democrats are committed to an orderly appropriations process that gets the people’s business done on time – and that includes the business of the People’s House. The Fiscal Year 2020 Legislative Branch Appropriations bill is an example of that commitment. By providing a total of $3.943 billion, $135 million above FY 2019 levels, this bill would ensure that members of Congress can effectively work on behalf of their constituents and that the public can safely visit the Capitol campus.”

"Fundamentally, our bill provides modest increases to support the staffing and other resources needed by Congress to do its job well, to maintain and build analytic capacity in the Legislative Branch, and to address high-priority needs in areas like information technology and security. Our bill also increases the allowance for paying interns, from $20,000 to $25,000 per Member office. Internships are a valuable means of gaining work experience and opening doors to future employment—and that opportunity shouldn’t be available only to those who can afford to work for free."

"We owe it to our service members and their families to put forth serious spending proposals. The idea of using OCO spending for base requirements is a thinly-veiled attempt to skirt budget caps and increase defense spending without a complementary increase for non-defense spending. Moreover, requesting OCO funds for base is fiscally irresponsible, as costs to increase end strength dovetail in future spending bills as service members receive raises and eventual pensions. Our service members deserve the stability and to know they will be taken care of in the future, and the Administration’s proposal makes that less likely."