FY2023 Consideration: Overview of Actions

The first section of this report provides an overview of the consideration of FY2023 legislative branch appropriations, with subsections covering each action, including

• the initial submission of the request on March 28, 2022 ($7.233 billion, +22.1%; including a budget amendment submitted June 7, 2022, which increased the total legislative branch request by $2 million);
• hearings held by the House Appropriations Committee, Subcommittee on the Legislative Branch in March, April, and May, and the Senate Appropriations Committee, Subcommittee on the Legislative Branch in May and June;
• a markup of the FY2023 legislative branch appropriations bill by the House Appropriations Committee, Subcommittee on the Legislative Branch on June 15, 2022;
• a markup of the FY2023 legislative branch appropriations bill by the House Appropriations Committee on June 22, 2022 (H.Rept. 117-389, H.R. 8237);
• consideration of the suballocation of budget allocations by the House Appropriations Committee on June 22, 2022 (H.Rept. 117-390);
• the release of the Senate Appropriations Committee chairman's mark and draft explanatory statement on July 28, 2022, and the introduction of S. 4720;
• the enactment of continuing appropriations resolutions on September 30, 2022 (P.L. 117-180); December 16, 2022 (P.L. 117-229); and December 23, 2022 (P.L. 117-264); and
• the enactment of the FY2023 Consolidated Appropriations Act on December 29, 2022 (P.L. 117-328).

It is followed by a section on prior-year actions and funding, which contains a historical table and figure.

The report then provides an overview of the FY2023 budget requests of individual legislative branch agencies and entities.

Table 5 through Table 9 list enacted funding levels for FY2022, and funding levels in the FY2023 request, the House-reported bill, the Senate-introduced bill, and the FY2023 act, while the Appendix lists House, Senate, and conference bills and reports; public law numbers; and enactment dates since FY1998.

Status of FY2023 Appropriations: Dates and Documents

Submission of FY2023 Budget Request on March 28, 2022

The White House submitted its budget for FY2023, which includes the legislative branch budget request, on March 28, 2022. As annually explained by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB):¹

The budget covers the agencies of all three branches of Government—Executive, Legislative, and Judicial—and provides information on Government-sponsored enterprises. In accordance with law or established practice, OMB includes information on agencies of the Legislative Branch, the Judicial Branch, and certain Executive Branch agencies as submitted by those agencies without change.

The independence of the submissions by the legislative branch agencies and entities is codified in Title 31, Section 1105, of the U.S. Code, which states the following:²

Estimated expenditures and proposed appropriations for the legislative branch and the judicial branch to be included in each budget ... shall be submitted to the President ... and included in the budget by the President without change.

Furthermore, Division C of the FY2012 Consolidated Appropriations Act (P.L. 112-74) added language to Title 31, Section 1107, relating to budget amendments, stating the following:

The President shall transmit promptly to Congress without change, proposed deficiency and supplemental appropriations submitted to the President by the legislative branch and the judicial branch.

The FY2023 legislative branch budget request, which was released shortly after the enactment of FY2022 funding on March 15, 2022, contains the disclaimer "A full-year 2022 appropriation for this account was not enacted at the time the Budget was prepared."³

On June 7, 2022, the President submitted a budget amendment, which stated⁴

This transmittal also contains eight FY 2023 Budget amendments for the Legislative Branch. As a matter of comity and tradition, these appropriations requests for the Legislative Branch are transmitted without change. These amendments would increase by $2 million the overall discretionary budget authority in my FY 2023 Budget.

The budget amendments would address the Senate and Library of Congress, including two language requests that would not impact net budget authority.

The revised FY2023 budget contained a request for $7.233 billion in new budget authority for legislative branch activities (+22.1%).

Senate and House Hearings on the FY2023 Budget Requests

Table 2 lists the dates of hearings of the legislative branch subcommittees. Prepared statements of witnesses were posted on the subcommittee websites.

House Appropriations Committee, Subcommittee on the Legislative Branch Markup of FY2023 Bill

On June 15, 2022, the House Appropriations Committee, Subcommittee on the Legislative Branch held a markup of the FY2023 bill. The subcommittee recommended $5.702 billion, a $954.4 million increase (+20.1%) from the comparable 2022 enacted level, not including Senate items (which are historically considered by the Senate and not included in the House bill) or supplemental appropriations.

No amendments were offered, and the bill was ordered reported to the full committee by voice vote.

Consideration of 302(b) Levels

The House Appropriations Committee approved its initial 302(b) suballocations on June 22, 2022, by recorded vote (31-26).⁵ The plan would include $7.000 billion for the legislative branch ($5.703 billion excluding Senate items), or 0.4% of total discretionary budget authority (H.Rept. 117-390).

House Appropriations Committee Markup of FY2023 Bill

On June 22, 2022, the House Appropriations Committee held a markup of the FY2023 legislative branch appropriations bill. It ordered an original bill reported (H.R. 8237, H.Rept. 117-389) by recorded vote (Roll Call #3, 32-26). The bill would have provided $5.702 billion (+20.1%), not including Senate items.

Two other roll call votes were held:

• 1. Roll Call #1, not adopted (26-31), "An amendment to repurpose the magnetometers from the entrance of the House Floor for use at the exterior doors of the House Office Buildings" and
• 2. Roll Call #2, not adopted (26-32), "An amendment to prohibit the use of funds for new studies and reports in the Legislative Branch FY2023 Subcommittee Report until the Capitol Complex is fully reopened."

Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman's Draft Bill and Introduction of S. 4720

On July 28, 2022, the chair of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, Senator Patrick Leahy, released drafts of the 12 annual appropriations bills along with draft accompanying explanatory statements.⁶

On August 2, 2022, Senator Jack Reed, chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Subcommittee on the Legislative Branch, introduced the bill text as S. 4720. The bill was referred to the Committee on Appropriations.

The bill would have provided $4.780 billion, not including House items, an increase of $775.4 million (+19.4%) from the comparable FY2022 enacted level.

FY2023 Continuing Appropriations Resolutions Enacted

Prior to the start of FY2023 on October 1, 2022, a continuing appropriations resolution (CR) providing funding for legislative branch activities through December 16, 2022, was enacted (P.L. 117-180).⁷

This CR was followed by the FY2023 Further Continuing Appropriations Act (P.L. 117-229, which provided funding through December 23, 2022)⁸ and the FY2023 Further Additional Continuing Appropriations Act (P.L. 117-264, which provided funding through December 30, 2022).

Enactment of FY2023 Appropriations

The FY2023 Consolidated Appropriations Act was enacted on December 29, 2022 (P.L. 117-328). Division I provides $6.899 billion, or $975.2 million (+16.5%)⁹ more than the FY2022 enacted level, for legislative branch activities.

Funding in Prior Years: Brief Overview and Trends

Legislative Branch: Historical Percentage of Total Discretionary Budget Authority

The percentage of total discretionary budget authority provided to the legislative branch has remained relatively stable at approximately 0.4% since at least FY1976.¹⁰ The maximum level (0.48%) was in FY1995, and the minimum (0.31%) was in FY2009.

FY2022

FY2022 funding was provided by Division I of the FY2022 Consolidated Appropriations Act (P.L. 117-103), which was enacted on March 15, 2022. The act provided $5.924 billion for legislative branch activities, an increase of $619.96 million (+11.7%) from the FY2021 level, not including FY2021 emergency appropriations; and an increase of $166.6 million (+2.9%), when including FY2021 emergency appropriations.¹¹

FY2021

FY2021 funding was provided by Division I of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (H.R. 133, P.L. 116-260), which was enacted on December 27, 2020. The act provided $5.304 billion in new budget authority for legislative branch activities, an increase of $251.2 million (+5.1%) (not including emergency appropriations). Joint explanatory text appeared in House Rules Committee Print 116-68,¹² and in the Congressional Record.¹³ P.L. 116-260 also contained additional titles related to the legislative branch in Division O—Extensions and Technical Corrections: Title VII—Deputy Architect of the Capitol Amendments, and in Division FF—Other Matter: Title IV—Senate Sergeant at Arms Cloud Services.

The Emergency Security Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2021 (H.R. 3237, P.L. 117-31) was enacted on July 30, 2021. The act provided

• $7.83 million for the Senate Sergeant at Arms "to prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus";
• two gratuity payments for heirs of deceased Members of Congress;
• $11.65 million for the House of Representatives, Allowances and Expenses, "to prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus";
• $37.50 million for Capitol Police, Salaries, "to respond to the events at the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021";
• $33.17 million for Capitol Police, General Expenses, "to respond to the events at the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021";
• $800,000 for Capitol Police, General Expenses, "to prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus";
• $35.40 million for Capitol Police, Mutual Aid Reimbursements;
• an administrative provision designating the Capitol Police wellness program the "Howard C. Liebengood Center for Wellness";
• an administrative provision adjusting the maximum annual payable rate for any member or civilian employee of the Capitol Police;
• $21.87 million for the Architect of the Capitol, Capital Construction and Operations, "to prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus";
• $300.00 million for the Architect of the Capitol, Capitol Police Buildings, Grounds and Security, "to respond to the events at the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021";
• a general provision prohibiting the use of funds "in prior fiscal years, this fiscal year, or any fiscal year thereafter ... to install permanent, above-ground fencing around the perimeter, or any portion thereof, of the United States Capitol Grounds"; and
• a general provision authorizing the Architect of the Capitol to accept contributions or incur obligations and make expenditures related to "supplies, products, and services necessary to respond to an emergency involving the safety of human life or the protection of property, as determined or declared by the Capitol Police Board, which may be provided for the use of any office which is located within any building, grounds, or facility for which the Architect of the Capitol is responsible for the maintenance, care, and operation."

FY2020

FY2020 funding was provided in Division E of the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act (P.L. 116-94), which was enacted on December 20, 2019. The $5.049 billion provided for the legislative branch represented an increase of $202.8 million (+4.2%) from the FY2019 level. Additional language related to the legislative branch was included in Division P.

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act, P.L. 116-136, enacted March 27, 2020) provided additional funding to allow legislative branch entities "to prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus, domestically or internationally." Funding included

• Senate: $1.0 million for the Sergeant at Arms and Doorkeeper of the Senate and $9.0 million for "Miscellaneous Items."
• House: $25.0 million for the "House of Representatives, Salaries and Expenses" account. This account funds all activities of the House, but it does not fund salaries of Members of Congress.
• Office of the Attending Physician: $400,000.
• Capitol Police: $12.0 million for salaries. The Capitol Police were also provided authority to transfer funding to the "general expenses" account without the approval requirement provided in 2 U.S.C. §1907(a)).
• Architect of the Capitol: $25.0 million, for preparing and responding to the COVID-19 emergency and to allow the Architect to "purchase and distribute cleaning and sanitation products throughout all facilities and grounds under the care of the Architect of the Capitol, wherever located, and any related services and operational costs."
• Library of Congress: $700,000 for the Little Scholars Child Development Center.
• Government Accountability Office: $20.0 million to prepare and respond to the emergency, for audits and investigations, and for reimbursement of the Tiny Findings Child Development Center.

The CARES Act also contained a number of general provisions related to the legislative branch, including provisions governing the use of funds provided in the act; authorizing payments for certain goods and services; waiving certain mass mailing restrictions related to life safety; a technical correction related to the Library of Congress; a conforming amendment related to the Family and Medical Leave Act; a section related to oversight and audit authority; and a section related to National Emergency Relief Authority for the Register of Copyrights.

FY2019

FY2019 funding was provided in Division B of the Energy and Water, Legislative Branch, and Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act, 2019 (P.L. 115-244), which was enacted on September 21, 2018. The $4.836 billion provided for the legislative branch represented an increase of $136.0 million (+2.9%) from the FY2018 enacted level.

An additional $10.0 million in FY2019 supplemental appropriations for GAO "for audits and investigations related to Hurricanes Florence, Lane, and Michael, Typhoons Yutu and Mangkhut, the calendar year 2018 wildfires, earthquakes, and volcano eruptions, and other disasters declared pursuant to the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act" was included in two bills considered in the 116^th Congress: H.R. 268, which passed the House on January 16, 2019, but cloture was not invoked in the Senate; and H.R. 2157, which passed the House on May 10 (Roll no. 202) and the Senate (with an amendment) on May 23, 2019 (Record Vote Number: 129). H.R. 2157 was enacted June 6, 2019 (P.L. 116-20).

FY2018

FY2018 funding was provided in Division I of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018 (P.L. 115-141), which was enacted on March 23, 2018. The $4.700 billion provided by the act represented an increase of $260.0 million (+5.9%) from the FY2017 enacted level.

In addition, P.L. 115-123, enacted February 9, 2018, provided $14.0 million to GAO "for audits and investigations relating to Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria and the 2017 wildfires." (Title IX of Division B).

FY2017

FY2017 funding was provided in Division I of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2017 (P.L. 115-31), which was enacted on May 5, 2017. The $4.440 billion provided by the act represented a $77.0 million increase (+1.7%) from the FY2016 enacted level.

FY2016

FY2016 funding was provided in Division I of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2016 (P.L. 114-113), which was enacted on December 18, 2015. The $4.363 billion provided by the act represented a $63.0 million increase (+1.5%) from the FY2015 enacted level.

FY2015

FY2015 funding was provided in Division H of the Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2015 (P.L. 113-235), which was enacted on December 16, 2014. The $4.300 billion provided by the act represented an increase of $41.7 million (+1.0%) from FY2014.

FY2014

Neither a legislative branch appropriations bill nor a continuing resolution (CR) containing FY2014 funding was enacted prior to the beginning of the fiscal year on October 1, 2013. A funding gap, which resulted in a partial government shutdown, ensued for 16 days. The funding gap was terminated by the enactment of a CR (P.L. 113-46) on October 17, 2013. The CR provided funding through January 15, 2014.¹⁴ Following enactment of a CR on January 15, 2014 (P.L. 113-73), a consolidated appropriations bill was enacted on January 17 (P.L. 113-76), providing $4.259 billion for the legislative branch for FY2014.

FY2013

FY2013 funding of approximately $4.061 billion was provided by P.L. 113-6, which was signed into law on March 26, 2013.¹⁵ The act funded legislative branch accounts at the FY2012 enacted level, with some exceptions (also known as "anomalies"), not including across-the-board rescissions required by Section 3004 of P.L. 113-6. Section 3004 was intended to eliminate any amount by which the new budget authority provided in the act exceeded the FY2013 discretionary spending limits in Section 251(c)(2) of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act, as amended by the Budget Control Act of 2011 (P.L. 112-25) and the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 (P.L. 112-240). Subsequent to the enactment of P.L. 113-6, OMB calculated that additional rescissions of 0.032% of security budget authority and 0.2% of nonsecurity budget authority would be required. The act did not alter the sequestration reductions implemented on March 1, which reduced most legislative branch accounts by 5.0%.¹⁶ The accompanying OMB report indicated a dollar amount of budget authority to be canceled in each account containing nonexempt funds.¹⁷

FY2012 and Prior

Division G of the FY2012 Consolidated Appropriations Act (P.L. 112-74) provided $4.307 billion for the legislative branch. This level was $236.9 million below (-5.2%) the FY2011 enacted level. P.L. 112-10 provided $4.543 billion for legislative branch operations in FY2011. This level represented a $125.1 million decrease (-2.7%) from the $4.668 billion provided in the FY2010 Legislative Branch Appropriations Act (P.L. 111-68) and the FY2010 Supplemental Appropriations Act (P.L. 111-212). The FY2009 Omnibus Appropriations Act provided $4.402 billion. In FY2009, an additional $25.0 million was provided for GAO in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.¹⁸ P.L. 111-32, the FY2009 Supplemental Appropriations Act, also contained funding for a new Capitol Police radio system ($71.6 million) and additional funding for the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) ($2.0 million).¹⁹

As seen in Table 3, in current dollars, legislative branch funding decreased each year from FY2010 through FY2013, and it did not exceed the FY2010 level until FY2018. Adjusted for inflation, the FY2022 funding level was slightly less than the FY2010 level.²⁰

Figure 1 shows the same information graphically, while Figure 2 shows the distribution of funds across the legislative branch in FY2022 and FY2023.

Figure 1. Legislative Branch Funding FY2010-FY2022: Current and Constant Dollars

Source: CRS analysis of legislative branch appropriations acts and related budget documents. Notes: The figure does not include permanent budget authorities, including funding for Member pay, that are not included in the annual legislative branch appropriations bill. Total also excludes offsetting collections and authority to spend receipts. Constant 2022 dollars calculated using the "Total Non-Defense" deflator in Table 10.1—Gross Domestic Product and Deflators Used in the Historical Tables: 1940-2027 in the President's FY2023 budget request.

Figure 2. Distribution of Legislative Branch Funding: FY2022 and FY2023 (Division I of P.L. 117-103 compared to Division I of P.L. 117-328)

Source: CRS analysis of legislative branch appropriations acts and related budget documents. Note: This figure does not include permanent budget authorities, offsetting collections, or authority to spend receipts.

Figure 3 shows the timing of legislative branch appropriations actions, including the issuance of House and Senate reports, bill passage, and enactment since FY1996. It shows that fiscal year funding for the legislative branch has been determined

• on or before October 1 six times during this period (FY1997, FY2000, FY2004, FY2006, FY2010, and FY2019);
• twice during the first month of the fiscal year (FY1998 and FY1999);
• twice in November (FY1996 and FY2002);
• nine times in December (FY2001, FY2005, FY2008, FY2012, FY2015, FY2016, FY2020, FY2021, and FY2023); and
• nine times in the next calendar year (FY2003, FY2007, FY2009, FY2011, FY2013, FY2014, FY2017, FY2018, and FY2022). FY2017 funding, enacted on May 5, 2017, represented the latest date of enactment during this period.

Figure 3. Timing of Legislative Branch Appropriations Consideration: FY1996-FY2023 (fiscal year consideration during the calendar year)

Source: CRS analysis of data found on http://www.congress.gov. Notes: Each row represents consideration during the calendar year of the subsequent fiscal year spending bill (i.e., the calendar year 1995 row shows the timeline of consideration and passage of the FY1996 act). Arrows in the December column indicate consideration continued into the next calendar year. The figure shows when the committee report was filed, which may be later than the date the bill was ordered reported. When House and Senate action occurs on the same date, the House is shown first. The FY2010 Legislative Branch Appropriations Act (P.L. 111-68) is listed in this figure as stand-alone legislation (Division A), although it was also the vehicle for a continuing appropriations resolution (Division B).

FY2023 Legislative Branch Funding Issues

The following sections discuss the various legislative branch accounts.

During consideration of the legislative branch bills, the House and Senate conform to a "longstanding practice under which each body of Congress determines its own housekeeping requirements and the other concurs without intervention."²¹

Senate²²

Overall Funding

The Senate requested $1.156 billion, an increase of 5.6% from the $1.095 billion provided in FY2022.²³ The Senate-introduced bill would have provided $1.135 billion (+3.7%). The FY2023 act provides $1.150 billion (+5.1%). Additional information on the Senate account is presented in Table 6.

Senate Committee Funding

Appropriations for Senate committees are contained in two accounts.

• 1. The inquiries and investigations account contains funds for all Senate committees except Appropriations. The Senate requested, and the Senate-introduced bill and the FY2023 act each included, $145.6 million (+6.6%).
• 2. The Committee on Appropriations account contains funds for the Senate Appropriations Committee. The Senate requested $17.6 million, an increase of 4.2% from the $16.9 million provided for FY2022. The Senate-introduced bill recommended, and the FY2023 provides, $17.9 million (+5.9%).

Senators' Official Personnel and Office Expense Account²⁴

The Senators' Official Personnel and Office Expense Account (SOPOEA) provides each Senator with funds to administer an office. It consists of an administrative and clerical assistance allowance, a legislative assistance allowance, and an official office expense allowance. The funds may be used for any category of expenses, subject to limitations on official mail.

The Senate requested $522.3 million, an increase of 7.4% from the $486.3 million provided for FY2022. The Senate-introduced bill would have provided $506.0 million (+4.1%). The FY2023 act provides $512.0 million (+5.3%).

The FY2022 act, the FY2023 request, the Senate-introduced bill, and the FY2023 act each included $7.0 million for compensating Senate interns within this total.

Administrative Provisions

The Senate-introduced bill included two administrative provisions, which were included in the FY2023 act:

• 1. One provision, which was first included in FY2016, would require amounts remaining in the SOPOEA to be used for deficit reduction or to reduce the federal debt.
• 2. A provision establishing a "Sergeant at Arms Fellowships Fund" to contain amounts for the McCain-Mansfield Fellowship Program (established by S.Res. 443, 117^th Congress) and the SFC Sean Cooley and SPC Christopher Horton Congressional Gold Star Family Fellowship Program (S.Res. 442, 117^th Congress).

The act also contained a provision making technical changes to Section 104 of division I of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (2 U.S.C. §6154), related to authorities of the Senate Democratic leadership offices.

House of Representatives

Overall Funding

The House requested $1.829 billion for FY2023, an increase of 6.7% from the $1.715 billion provided for FY2022. The FY2023 House-reported bill would have provided $1.869 billion (+9.0%). The FY2023 act provides $1.848 billion (+7.7%).

Additional information on headings in the House of Representatives account is presented in Table 7.

House Committee Funding

Funding for House committees is contained in the appropriation heading "committee employees," which typically comprises two subheadings.

The first subheading contains funds for personnel and nonpersonnel expenses of House committees, except the Appropriations Committee, as authorized by the House in a committee expense resolution. The FY2022 act provided $167.1 million. The House requested $182.0 million (+8.9%). The House-reported bill would have provided $188.97 million (+13.1%). The FY2023 act provides $180.6 million (+8.1%).

The second subheading contains funds for the personnel and nonpersonnel expenses of the Committee on Appropriations. The FY2022 act provided $29.9 million, the same level included in the FY2023 request. The House-reported bill recommended, and the FY2023 act provides, $31.3 million (+4.6%).

Members' Representational Allowance²⁵

The Members' Representational Allowance (MRA) is available to support Members in their official and representational duties.

The House-requested level of $813.1 million represents an increase of $38.7 million (+5.0%) from the $774.4 million provided in FY2022. The House-reported bill recommended, and the FY2023 act provides, $810.0 million (+4.6%).

Compensation of Interns

The House-reported bill recommended, and the FY2023 act provides, in separate accounts, $20.6 million for interns in House Member offices, $586,000 for interns in House leadership offices, $2.6 million for interns for standing and select committees other than the House Appropriations Committee, and $463,000 for interns with the House Appropriations Committee.

Administrative Provisions

The House requested the continuation of three administrative provisions included in prior years related to²⁶

• unexpended balances from the MRA;
• limiting amounts available from the MRA for leased vehicles; and
• providing for cybersecurity assistance from other federal entities.

These were included in the House-reported bill, along with

• a new administrative provision establishing a House intern resource office; and
• a new administrative provision expanding the House student loan repayment program to cover educational assistance and professional development. This provision would not apply to Members of Congress.

These provisions were included in the FY2023 act, along with

• a new administrative provision related to the House Services Revolving Fund;
• a new administrative provision clarifying the ability to use the child care center revolving fund for staff training classes and conferences; and
• a new administrative provision providing authority similar to that provided to executive agencies to use appropriated amounts for child care, in accordance with regulations promulgated by the Committee on House Administration.

Support Agency Funding

U.S. Capitol Police (USCP)

The USCP is responsible for the security of the Capitol Complex, including, for example, the U.S. Capitol, the House and Senate office buildings, the U.S. Botanic Garden, and the Library of Congress buildings and adjacent grounds.

The FY2022 enacted level was $602.5 million. In comparison, levels considered for FY2023 include the following:

• Requested: $708.1 million (+17.5%)
• House-reported bill: $708.1 million (+17.5%)
• Senate-introduced bill: $707.1 million (+17.4%)
• Enacted: $734.6 million (+21.9%)

Additional information on the USCP is presented in Table 8.²⁷

Appropriations for the police are contained in two accounts—a salaries account and a general expenses account.

• 1. Salaries—the FY2022 act provided $468.9 million for salaries. The USCP requested, and the House-reported bill would have provided, $522.3 million (+11.4%). The Senate-introduced bill would have provided $526.8 million (+12.4%). The FY2023 act provides $541.7 million (+15.5%).
• 2. General expenses—the FY2022 act provided $133.6 million for general expenses. The USCP requested, and the House-reported bill would have provided, $185.8 million (+39.0%). The Senate-introduced bill would have provided $180.3 million (+34.9%). The FY2023 act provides $192.8 million (+44.3%).

Another appropriation relating to the USCP appears within the Architect of the Capitol account for Capitol Police buildings and grounds. The FY2022 level was $62.4 million. For FY2023, $699.5 million (+1021.1%) was requested, the House-reported bill would have provided $532.2 million (+753.0%), and the Senate-introduced bill would have provided $412.3 million (+560.8%). The FY2023 act provides $402.9 million (+545.8%).

Administrative Provision

The FY2023 request, the House-reported bill, the Senate-introduced bill, and the FY2023 act all include a provision related to volunteer chaplain services.

The House-reported bill also included a provision including FLSA overtime compensation as basic pay for members of the Capitol Police. The Senate-introduced bill also included a provision amending 2 U.S.C. §1975, related to USCP overseas travel in connection with travel of Senators. Neither of these provisions was included in the FY2023 act.

Office of Congressional Workplace Rights

Formerly known as the Office of Compliance, the Office of Congressional Workplace Rights (OCWR) was renamed by the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995 Reform Act (P.L. 115-397). It is an independent and nonpartisan agency within the legislative branch, and it was originally established to administer and enforce the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995.²⁸ The act applies various employment and workplace safety laws to Congress and certain legislative branch entities.²⁹

The FY2021 and FY2022 enacted level of $7.5 million was continued in the FY2023 request and the Senate-introduced bill. The House-reported bill recommended, and the FY2023 act provides, $8.0 million (+6.7%).

Congressional Budget Office (CBO)

CBO is a nonpartisan congressional agency created to provide objective economic and budgetary analysis to Congress. CBO cost estimates are required for any measure reported by a regular or conference committee that may affect revenues or expenditures.³⁰

The FY2022 level was $60.95 million. In comparison, the FY2023 requested, House-reported, and Senate-introduced level was $64.6 million (+6.0%). The FY2023 act provides $63.2 million (+3.7%).

Architect of the Capitol (AOC)

The Architect of the Capitol (AOC) is responsible for the maintenance, operation, development, and preservation of the U.S. Capitol Complex, which includes the Capitol and its grounds, House and Senate office buildings, Library of Congress buildings and grounds, Capitol Power Plant, Botanic Garden, Capitol Visitor Center, and USCP buildings and grounds. The AOC is responsible for the Supreme Court buildings and grounds, but appropriations for their expenses are not contained in the legislative branch appropriations bill.

The FY2022 level was $773.9 million.

In comparison, levels considered for FY2023 include the following:

• Requested: $1.669 billion (+115.7%)
• House-reported bill: $1.268 billion (+63.9%, not including Senate office buildings)
• Senate-introduced bill: $1.100 billion (+42.1%, not including House office buildings)
• Enacted: $1.315 billion (+69.9%)

Operations of the AOC are funded in the following 10 accounts: capital construction and operations, Capitol building, Capitol grounds, Senate office buildings, House office buildings, Capitol Power Plant, Library buildings and grounds, Capitol Police buildings and grounds, Capitol Visitor Center, and Botanic Garden. Additional funding information on the individual AOC accounts is presented in Table 9.

Administrative Provision

The FY2023 budget request, the House-reported bill, the Senate-introduced bill, and the FY2023 act each included an administrative provision that prohibits the use of funds for bonuses for contractors behind schedule or over budget. This provision has been included in the annual appropriations acts since FY2015.

The FY2023 act also reauthorized the Fallen Heroes Flag Act of 2016 (P.L. 114-156; 2 U.S.C. §1881c) through 2028.

The FY2023 request also included a provision related to voluntary separation incentive payments for Senate restaurant employees. This provision was not included in the House-reported or Senate-introduced bills or the FY2023 act.

Library of Congress (LOC)

The Library of Congress (LOC) serves simultaneously as Congress's parliamentary library and the de facto national library of the United States. Its broader services to the nation include the acquisition, maintenance, and preservation of a collection of more than 173.7 million items in various formats;³¹ service to the general public and scholarly and library communities; administration of U.S. copyright laws by its Copyright Office; and administration of a national program to provide reading material to the blind and physically handicapped. Its direct services to Congress include the provision of legal research and law-related services by the Law Library of Congress, and a broad range of activities by CRS, including in-depth and nonpartisan public policy research, analysis, and legislative assistance for Members and committees and their staff; congressional staff training; information and statistics retrieval; and continuing legal education for Members of both chambers and congressional staff.

The FY2022 level was $794.0 million. In comparison, levels considered for FY2023 include the following:

• Requested: $824.9 million (+3.9%)³²
• House-reported bill: $831.4 million (+4.7%)
• Senate-introduced bill: $819.3 million (+3.2%)
• Enacted: $828.5 million (+4.3%)

These figures do not include additional authority to spend receipts.³³

The LOC headings include the following:³⁴

• 1. Salaries and expenses—The FY2022 level was $550.6 million. The LOC requested $579.9 million (+5.3%). The House-reported bill would have provided $585.4 million (+6.3%). The Senate-introduced bill would have provided $574.2 million (+4.3%). The FY2023 act provides $582.5 million (+5.8%).
• 2. Copyright Office—The FY2022 level was $53.1 million. The LOC requested $53.8 million (+1.3%) for FY2023, the same level included in the House-reported bill, the Senate-introduced bill, and the FY2023 act. These figures do not include authority to spend receipts ($43.9 million) and prior-year unobligated balances ($3.0 million).
• 3. Congressional Research Service—The FY2022 act provided $129.1 million. The FY2023 request contained $132.6 million (+2.7%), the same level provided in the Senate-introduced bill. The House-reported bill recommended, and the FY2023 act provides, $133.6 million (+3.5%).
• 4. Books for the blind and physically handicapped—The FY2022 level was $61.2 million. The LOC requested $58.7 million (-4.2%), the same level contained in the House-reported bill, the Senate-introduced bill, and the FY2023 act.

The AOC's budget also contains funds for LOC buildings and grounds. In FY2022, $64.5 million was provided. The FY2023 request contains $183.5 million (+184.3%). The Senate-introduced bill would have provided $128.2 million (+98.7%). The House-reported bill recommended, and the FY2023 act provides, $144.2 million (+123.4%).

Administrative Provisions

The legislative branch appropriations bills regularly include a provision providing authority to obligate funds for reimbursable and revolving fund activities ($292.4 million in the FY2022 act; $308.6 million in the FY2023 request, the House-reported bill, the Senate-introduced bill, and the FY2023 act).

The FY2023 act also included a provision authorizing the use of appropriated funds to cover salaries of certain personnel of Little Scholars Child Development Center (i.e., the Executive Director and Deputy Executive Director of the Center).

The Library had originally requested a provision authorizing the Librarian to accept certain personal property, as well as a provision related to task and delivery order contracts, although these requests were deleted by the budget amendment. These provisions were not included in the House-reported or Senate-introduced bills or the FY2023 act.

Government Publishing Office (GPO)³⁵

GPO's FY2022 enacted level was $124.2 million. GPO requested $130.9 million (+5.4%) for FY2023, the same level included in the House-reported bill. The Senate-introduced bill recommended, and the FY2023 act contained, $129.9 million (+4.5%).

GPO's budget authority is contained in three accounts:

• 1. Congressional publishing—GPO requested, and the House-reported bill, Senate-introduced bill, and FY2023 act all contained, $82.99 million (+5.2%).
• 2. Public information programs of the Superintendent of Documents (salaries and expenses)—GPO requested, and the House-reported bill, Senate-introduced bill, and FY2023 act all contained, $35.3 million (+3.6%).
• 3. GPO Business Operations Revolving Fund³⁶—GPO requested, and the House-reported bill would have provided $12.7 million (+5.4%). The Senate-introduced bill and the FY2023 act provided $11.6 million (+2.3%).

Government Accountability Office (GAO)

GAO responds to requests for studies of federal government programs and expenditures. GAO may also initiate its own work.³⁷

GAO's FY2022 enacted level was $719.2 million. In comparison, levels considered for FY2023 include the following:

• Requested: $810.3 million (+12.7%)
• House-reported bill: $790.3 million (+9.9%)
• Senate-introduced bill: $785.8 million (+9.3%)
• Enacted: $790.3 million (+9.9%)

These levels do not include offsetting collections ($38.9 million in the FY2022 act; $55.9 million in the FY2023 request, the House-reported bill, the Senate-introduced bill, and the FY2023 act).³⁸

Congressional Office for International Leadership (formerly Open World Leadership Center)

The FY2023 request, the House-reported bill, the Senate-introduced bill, and the FY2023 act all included $6.0 million, equivalent to the FY2021 and FY2022 enacted levels.

The office administers a program that supports democratic changes in other countries by inviting their leaders to observe democracy and free enterprise in the United States.

Congress first authorized the program in 1999 to support the relationship between Russia and the United States. Established at the LOC as the Center for Russian Leadership Development in 2000, the program encouraged young federal and local Russian leaders to visit the United States and observe its government and society. The center was renamed the Open World Leadership Center in 2003, when the program was expanded to include specified additional countries.³⁹ In 2004, Congress further extended the program's eligibility to other countries designated by the center's board of trustees, subject to congressional consideration.⁴⁰ More recent appropriations documents have included language regarding countries or regions of focus and proposed expansion, including efforts in Ukraine. The FY2022 Consolidated Appropriations Act changed the name from the Open World Leadership Center to the Congressional Office for International Leadership.

The office is housed in the LOC and receives services from the LOC through an interagency agreement.

A provision included since FY2016, and continued for FY2023, states the following:

That funds made available to support Russian participants shall only be used for those engaging in free market development, humanitarian activities, and civic engagement, and shall not be used for officials of the central government of Russia.

Prior to the name change in 2022, the location and future of the office; attempts to assess its effectiveness, countries of focus, and funding levels; and its inclusion in the legislative branch budget were discussed at appropriations hearings and in report language for many years.

John C. Stennis Center for Public Service Training and Development

The center was created by Congress in 1988 to encourage public service by congressional staff through training and development programs.⁴¹ The $430,000 included in the FY2022 act, the FY2023 request, the House-reported bill, the Senate-introduced bill, and the FY2023 act is approximately the same level provided annually since FY2006.

General Provisions

As in past years, Congress considered a number of general provisions related to the legislative branch. These provisions and their status are listed in Table 4.

Introduction to Summary Tables and Appendix

Table 5 through Table 9 provide information on funding levels for the legislative branch overall, the Senate, the House of Representatives, the USCP, and the AOC.

The tables are followed by an Appendix, which lists House, Senate, and conference bills and reports; public law numbers; and enactment dates since FY1998.

Appendix. Fiscal Year Information and Resources