GAO, Library of Congress avoid cuts in Legislative Branch bill – Roll Call

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GAO, Library of Congress avoid cuts in Legislative Branch bill

Both agencies faced steep cuts in an earlier House version

By Justin Papp, Posted November 10, 2025 at 6:11am

Senate appropriators Sunday unveiled a roughly $7.3 billion draft fiscal 2026 Legislative Branch appropriations bill, part of a three-bill package that could be paired with a stopgap spending measure in a bid to reopen the government.

The bill would maintain funding for both the Government Accountability Office and the Library of Congress, two legislative branch agencies that faced steep cuts in an earlier House version of the proposal.

It would also boost Capitol Police funding to $852.4 million for fiscal 2026, an increase of roughly $46 million over the current fiscal year, as concerns over member security remain elevated. The proposal would be a more than 7 percent increase in total legislative branch funding over the current fiscal year

Not included is language barring the GAO from suing for the release of “impounded” funds without congressional approval, a sticking point in negotiations to advance the package of bills that includes the Military Construction-VA and Agriculture spending proposals.

The language restricting GAO’s authorities appeared in the version that advanced out of the House Appropriations Committee in June, as Republicans were ramping up attacks against the nonpartisan watchdog, which had found that the Trump White House illegally barred the release of appropriated funds.

The proposed restriction on the GAO language was paired with a nearly 50 percent proposed cut to the GAO’s budget that Democrats viewed as an attack on the legislative branch agency.

“It is astonishing that for all the talk about finding and rooting out waste, fraud, and abuse, that House Republicans would defund the watchdog that is tasked with precisely that role,” said House Appropriations ranking member Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., at the time.

A Senate version of the bill that advanced out of committee in July and passed on the floor in August would reinstate the GAO’s funding, keeping it flat at $811.9 million for fiscal 2026. But the language over the GAO’s ability to sue the executive branch over “impoundment” — the withholding of appropriated funds from being obligated for purposes intended by Congress — continued to be debated late into this week.

Presidents can cancel funds with congressional approval, as the Trump administration did earlier this year with a $9 billion package to rescind funds for foreign aid and public broadcasting, but the 1974 Congressional Budget Act prohibits the executive branch from doing so unilaterally.

But the Trump administration has also found ways to circumvent the rules in other instances, including with temporary “holds” on targeted accounts. Democrats and some GOP appropriators have pushed back on such maneuvers, arguing it undermines Congress’ “power of the purse” as laid out in the Constitution.

The comptroller general, who leads the GAO, can sue in federal court under the 1974 law for the release of appropriations that have been illegally impounded.

Security boost, Library of Congress remains flat

In addition to the overall increase to the Capitol Police budget, Republican and Democratic appropriators touted $203.5 million in funding dedicated to enhancing security.

Threats against members and staff have been elevated since the first Trump administration, according to Capitol Police figures. But the assassination of Minnesota state lawmaker Melissa Hortman in June and of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk in September have raised concerns across Capitol Hill.

Continue/Read Original Article Here: GAO, Library of Congress avoid cuts in Legislative Branch bill – Roll Call

#Appropriations #CapitolPoliceBudget #EnhancingSecurity #FederalGovernmentShutdown #GAO #GovernmentAccountingOffice #LegislativeBranch #LibraryOfCongress #ReopenGovernment #RollCall #ThreeBillPackage

Comparing FY 2026 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education Appropriations Bills – EPIC for America

Comparing FY 2026 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education Appropriations Bills

November 3, 2025

David Ditch

Comparing FY 2026 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education Appropriations Bills

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• Introduction
• Article
• Author

The largest domestic policy appropriations package is the Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education (LHHSED) bill. These agencies, none of which existed for most of America’s history, are rife with wasteful and contentious spending.

For Fiscal Year (FY) 2026, the House bill would spend $184.5 billion and the Senate bill would spend $197 billion, a difference of $13.7 billion or 6.8%.

As Congress moves forward with full year appropriations, legislators should consider not just the package by itself but also how best to handle specific accounts. The $13.7 billion spending difference between the House and Senate is caused by divergent policy choices. If Congress intends to spend a 12-figure sum, it should do so with deliberation.

This post compares funding for selected accounts in the FY 2026 LHHSED appropriations bills proposed by the House and Senate alongside FY 2025 levels and the President’s Budget.

Labor Department, CNCS

The Department of Labor’s discretionary budget focuses on programs claimed to promote employment, including job training and the Job Corps. Yet the historical track record has been lackluster, with programs having higher economic costs than benefits.

The Senate LHHSED bill would slightly increase this spending, while the House would reduce it. The President’s Budget calls out the underperformance of these programs, seeking both an overhaul in the policy area and a reduction in spending.

The Community Service Employment for Older Americans program (CSE, part of Labor) and the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS, an independent agency) are promoted as ways to provide fulfillment for participants while helping neighborhoods. This is not an appropriate role for the federal government, and these initiatives have failed to produce commensurate results with billions of dollars in funding. The President’s Budget calls for ending both initiatives. The House bill would eliminate CSE and reduce CNCS. The Senate bill maintains CNCS funding and barely reduces CSE.

Prior to the government shutdown, the Department of Labor’s contingency plan deemed 9,775 employees (76%) as non-essential.

Health & Human Services

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) contains 15 bureaus and oversees at least 433 programs. It is riddled with waste, duplication, and handouts to state and local governments. Despite this, its budget has surged decade after decade.

The President’s Budget calls for a dramatic reorganization of HHS, eliminating many bureaus and programs while consolidating functions into a new Administration for a Healthy America. On net this would entail a meaningful reduction in appropriations. While the House bill is not positioned to overhaul HHS (being appropriations rather than authorizations), it generally moves in the same direction by eliminating or significantly reducing many bureaus and programs. The Senate bill only makes modest reductions.

Both the House bill and the President’s Budget would reduce spending on HIV/AIDS programs. Legislators who are wary of such a move should understand that spending on HIV/AIDS is high despite sustained progress in reducing death and infection rates. Further, the drivers of infection are behavioral choices that have been established for decades. Bringing HIV/AIDS funding in line with other diseases is appropriate.

Continue/Read Original Article Here: Comparing FY 2026 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education Appropriations Bills – EPIC for America

#Appropriations #Bills #Download #Education #EPICForAmerica #FY2026 #HealthAndHumanServices #Labor #Report #TheEconomicPolicyInnovationCenterEPIC_ #USCongress

No More Fucking CRs — Pass the Damn Bills

https://theinterfaithintrepidart.com/2025/11/01/no-more-fucking-crs-pass-the-damn-bills/

National Conference of State Legislatures: New Database Reveals the Anatomy of Legislative Fiscal Committees. “NCSL created the State Legislative Fiscal Committees Database, which provides a comprehensive directory of fiscal committees in the 50 states, the territories and Washington, D.C., allowing users to analyze fiscal processes across legislative bodies.”

https://rbfirehose.com/2025/10/31/national-conference-of-state-legislatures-new-database-reveals-the-anatomy-of-legislative-fiscal-committees/

Can the President bypass Congress to pay troops amid shutdown? Jennifer Scholtes and Meredith Lee Hill reveal U.S. lawmakers' mixed reactions as Trump ensures military pay during the extended government shutdown, raising constitutional and legal concerns. Explore bipartisan fears over executive overreach and funding transparency. Read more: https://www.alternet.org/trump-murkowski-military-shutdown/ #JenniferScholtes #MeredithLeeHill #JerryMoran #governmentshutdown #militarypay #federalbudget #Congress #Trump #appropriations

OMB’s memo revives a narrow but real risk: furloughed feds’ back pay may need explicit language in the reopening bill. GEFTA creates the obligation, but startup text turns it into paychecks. #FederalWorkforce #Appropriations https://washingtonhorizon.com/omb-agues-backpay-for-furloughed-feds-not-automatic/

Heather critiques Mike Johnson’s Fox claims, warning of Democratic impeachments if they control the House, highlighting fears over the ongoing government shutdown debate. She views Johnson’s warnings as performative, exposing Republicans' true focus on serving wealthy interests over real governance. Read more: https://crooksandliars.com/2025/09/mike-johnson-promises-us-good-time-if-dems #Heather #MikeJohnson #FoxNews #GovernmentShutdown #Democrats #Republicans #Congress #Appropriations #PoliticalAnalysis

Your guide to pay and benefits during a shutdown

Just eight days remain for lawmakers and the White House to reach a deal to fund the government…
#NewsBeep #News #Topstories #119thcongress #2018shutdown #appropriations #fehbp #fers #furloughs #GovernmentShutdown #Headlines #leave #officeofpersonnelmanagement #payandbenefits #shutdownfurloughs #TopStories #Trumpadministration
https://www.newsbeep.com/140889/

Sen. Chris Murphy breaks ranks in DHS budget talks, rejecting all spending measures despite bipartisan support, revealing deep frustration with committee leadership and process. His lone dissent signals a bold stand against the status quo. Read more on his rare opposition and what it means for negotiations. Jonathan Larsen delivers insightful coverage. #ChrisMurphy #HomelandSecurity #Appropriations https://crooksandliars.com/2025/08/more-chris-murphy-please

#CPB said its end, 58 years after being signed into #law by President Lyndon B. Johnson, would come in an “orderly wind-down.” In a statement, it said the decision came after the passage through #Congress of a package that clawed back its #funding for the next 2 budget years — about $1.1 billion. Then, the #Senate #Appropriations Cmte reinforced that policy change Thurs by excluding funding for the corporation for the first time in >50 years as part of a broader spending bill.

#FreePress #Trump

AYFKM?

#Republicans propose naming #KennedyCenter #Opera House after #MelaniaTrump

The #House #Appropriations committee passed an amendment that would rename the theater, months after #Trump took over the performing arts center.

#Autocracy #tyranny #CultOfPersonality
https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/theater/2025/07/22/melania-trump-kennedy-center-opera-house-appropriations-bill/

Congress is advancing FY26 spending bills, including some with dramatic staffing cuts

Lawmakers in both chambers are moving forward with spending bills for fiscal 2026, most of which reject President…
#NewsBeep #News #Topstories #2026budget #appropriations #FBI #fundingbill #Headlines #hud #spendingbills #Trump #usda
https://www.newsbeep.com/3345/

#RussVought, the director of the White House #OMB, said during a #Senate #Appropriations Cmte hearing last week that the admin was considering ways to claw back the funding through a process known as rescission. The admin would formally ask lawmakers to claw back a set of funds it has targeted for cuts. Even if #Congress fails to vote on the request, #Trump’s timing would trigger a #law that freezes the money until it ultimately expires.

“No decision has been made,” Vought said.

#education

#Louisiana v. Callais — a 2022 map w/ 1 majority-Black district was ruled to violate the #VotingRightsAct. The new map, drawn w/ 2 majority-Black districts, was challenged by a group describing themselves as “non-African American” who contend it was unconstitutional racial #gerrymandering. The state says it drew the map not due to #race but to protect #Republican incumbents, such as #House Speaker #MikeJohnson & Rep Julia Letlow, who sits on the House #Appropriations Cmte.

#SCOTUS #law
🧵

Indeed, it would be hard to envision what circumstances do not amount to #war that #Congress must authorize if using #military force in #Iran in this set of circumstances does not reach that threshold.

Congress has options…to try to prevent the President from unlawfully using force, including through the #appropriations #power & the #WarPowersResolution of 1973.

#Trump #law #MiddleEast #USpol

Like the expenses that the #Executive has racked up for security for his frequent golf outings, I’m curious how this aligns with #Congressional #appropriations. When will you and #Congress hold the #WhiteHouse to account? 3/3

She was fired in a two-sentence email from Trent Morse, the deputy director of White House personnel, acc/to a screenshot released by Senator Martin Heinrich of NM, the top #Democrat on the #Appropriations Subcommittee on the #Legislative Branch.

“On behalf of President Donald J. Trump, I am writing to inform you that your position as the Librarian of Congress is terminated effective immediately,”the email said, without citing a cause. “Thank you for your service.”

#Trump #racism #sexism

“We look forward to working with you to restore public access to apportionment data in accordance with statute,” they wrote.

The letter was signed by Representative Tom Cole of Oklahoma & Senator Susan Collins of Maine, the #Republican chairs of the #House & #Senate #appropriations cmtes, & the 2 senior #Democrats on those panels, Representative Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut & Senator Patty Murray of Washington.

#Trump #RussVought #OMB #Project2025 #law #Congress

The top 2 #Republicans & #Democrats on the congressional #appropriations cmtes are quietly protesting the #Trump WH’s decision to take down a special website tracking federal #spending, escalating a battle between #Congress & Trump over spending powers.

In a previously undisclosed letter sent last month to #RussVought, the director of #OMB, the lawmakers questioned the rationale for shutting down the website, which they & advocacy groups said was a violation of the #law.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/06/us/politics/congress-white-house-spending-website.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare&sgrp=p&pvid=30672882-2D82-4825-873C-8B1419420A2B

Woof. This excerpt from Rep #LaurenUnderwood’s (D-IL) questioning basically sums up #DHS Secy #KristiNoem’s appearance before the #House #Appropriations Cmte.

Noem was unable to answer at all whether she believes people in the #US are entitled to #DueProcess.

Noem wrongly claimed no #UScitizens have been deported.

#law #immigration