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Legislative Branch (114th Congress)

Membership

Rep. Tim Ryan (OH), Ranking Member(link is external)

Betty McCollum (MN)(link is external)

Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL)(link is external)

 

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Recent Activity
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Thank you Mr. Chairman. The Legislative Branch Appropriations bill is $72 million above the fiscal year 2016 enacted bill.

After many years, I think it is appropriate to begin to provide relief to legislative branch agencies. I want to thank the full Committee Chairman, Mr. Rogers for understanding the challenges posed by years of cuts and providing an allocation to begin rebuilding the capacity of Congress to do the people’s work.

I began on this Committee and subcommittee in January of 2007. Liz Dawson, the majority clerk, was the minority clerk at the time and I like to joke that we started off rocky but I have come to rely on her counsel.

Mr. Chairman, I think that relationship is important to explain the bipartisan nature of this bill.

Thank you, Chairman Graves, Ranking Member Wasserman Schultz, and Chairman Rogers for your work on this bill.

Today we consider funding for the operations of our nation’s legislative branch. This is our fourth bill to reach subcommittee markup, yet the House has not passed a budget, and it’s almost certain we never will.

We know why. The right-wing is threatening to renege on the bipartisan budget agreement, and rejects as insufficiently radical, a Republican budget resolution that would devastate good-paying jobs, end the Medicare guarantee, and increase poverty. The majority’s continued dysfunction jeopardizes this Committee’s ability to meet the challenges we face.

The 2016 Legislative Branch Appropriations bill would keep MRA and committee budgets flat and prohibit a pay raise for Members of Congress. While a veto threat is not expected, controversial amendments could be made in order.

Highlights and Key Points

2015 Enacted: $3.341 billion
2016 President's request: $3.513 billion
2016 Mark: $3.341 billion
*Excludes Senate items

The 2015 Legislative Branch Appropriations bill would provide:

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Congratulations on your first bill as Chairman.

I joked during our hearings this year that I was "long in the tooth" on this subcommittee. It is not a subcommittee assignment that many Members stay on for long, as it is the smallest of all the appropriations bills. We spend less on the entire legislative branch of this government than we do on many individual government programs. In the Defense Budget, this entire bill would be but a rounding error.

Thank you, Chairman Graves, Ranking Member Wasserman Schultz, and Chairman Rogers.

Today we consider the smallest of the appropriations bills, which funds the operations of our nation's legislative branch. Without Senate items, the bill is $3.341 billion. Despite years of "tightening our belts," the Majority has yet again kept funding flat and further damaged this institution's reputation and ability to function at the highest level.