2985 , was signed into P.L. Status of FY2006 Appropriations

		Action on the FY2006 Legislative Branch Appropriations Bill

			Submission of FY2006 Budget Request on February 7, 2005

On February 7, 2005, the President submitted the FY2006 U.S. Budget containing $4.028 billion in legislative branch budget authority, a 13.7% increase. As enacted into law, H.R. 2985 contained new discretionary budget authority of $3.804 billion, exceeding the 302(b) allocation by $85 million. 109-139 ), which contained $2.870 billion, a 1.7% increase. During consideration of H.R. As amended the committee's bill contains $3.83 billion, including funds for House items. The Senate mark was a 6.4% increase over the current FY2005 budget. 2985 as reported by the Senate Appropriations Committee, after agreeing to an amendment offered by Senator Allard (for Lott/Dodd). The amendment did not change the total new budget authority in the bill, since the money was made available from funds already provided for elsewhere in the bill. 1268 :
direct that fees for use of the House exercise facility be deposited in the House Services Revolving Fund, under the account House of Representatives, House Services Revolving Fund; provide technical corrections to provisions regarding the Library of Congress by changing references to the chair of the Subcommittee on Legislative Branch to the chair of the Committee on Appropriations of the House for membership on the Joint Committee on the Library and the Board of Trustees of the Open World Leadership Program (to reflect the abolishment of the House Subcommittee on Legislative Branch at the beginning of the 109 th Congress); and eliminate the statutory requirement that the chair and ranking minority member of the House Appropriations Committee be required to approve the obligation of funds by the AOC for the CVC; the amendment requires approval by the House Appropriations Committee. Capitol Police

			Funding Issues

Congress provided $249.46 million for the police, a 3.31% increase. Appropriations for the police are contained in two accounts:
the salaries account , for which $230.2 million was requested, a 14.1% increase; the House bill contained $210.4 million; the Senate bill, $222.6 million; and the conference report, $217.46 million; the general expenses account, for which $59.9 million was requested, a 109.2%increase; the House bill contained $29.4 million; the Senate bill, $42.0 million; and the conference report, $32.0 million;
The salaries account contains funds for the salaries of employees, including overtime, hazardous duty pay differential, and government contributions for employee health, retirement, social security, professional liability insurance, and other benefit programs. While the House bill contained a 69.9% increase, or $16.8 million, the Senate bill contained a 1.3% increase, or $10.0 million, or a 1.3% increase. 1268 did not contain funds for the Capitol Police. The Senate language also authorized the Architect of the Capitol to appoint an Executive Director of the Capitol Visitor Center. 109-55 on August 2, 2005, with President Bush's signature. Conferees agreed to the House-approved funding level of $35.45 million, a 2.3% increase, less than the level approved by the Senate, $35.85 million, or 3.5% over current funding. Conferees agreed to $3.1 million, as contained in both the House and Senate versions of the bill. Senate language providing $430,000 was agreed to by conferees.
The President signed H.R. 2985, the FY2006 Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, into P.L. 109-55 on August 2, 2005 (119 Stat. 565). The act provides $3.804 billion in new budget authority, a 4.49% increase of $163.61 million over current budget authority. Going into conference, the House bill contained $2.87 billion, a 1.7% increase over the current budget, excluding funds for Senate items, which were determined by the Senate after House consideration of the bill. The Senate bill contained $3.83 billion, a 6.3% increase, including funds for House items.
The level of funding is less than the outlay of $3.809 billion projected by the House Budget Committee. The difference is to be offset by the use of prior year funds made available primarily for projects under jurisdiction of the Architect of the Capitol. As enacted into law, H.R. 2985 contained new discretionary budget authority of $3.804 billion, exceeding the 302(b) allocation by $85 million.
One of the more controversial issues, House language providing for continuity of representation in the House of Representatives pursuant to an emergency situation, was retained by conferees. The Senate bill did not contain the language.
Actions on the FY2006 bill follow last year's approval by the Committees on Appropriations of a virtual funding freeze. Congress eventually agreed to a 1.2% increase, which fell below the 1.3% increase agreed to by both houses for discretionary funds.
Among other issues that were under consideration during discussions on the FY2006 budget were
requests by the chairman of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees for agencies to identify further their FY2006 objectives in an effort to reduce their requests to more closely mirror the President's call for a 2.1% on discretionary appropriations; funding for the U.S. Capitol Police budget (the House bill contained a 0.7% decrease; the Senate bill, a 9.6% increase; and the conference report, a 3.31% increase; funding for the Capitol Visitor Center (the House bill contained $36.9 million; the Senate bill, $44.2 million, with conferees agreeing to the Senate figure); language in the House bill terminating the Capitol Police mounted horse unit, which was retained in conference; the Senate bill did not contain the provision; language regarding management of the Capitol Police; language in both the House and Senate bill limiting the pay of a legislative branch employee to that received by a Member of Congress, which was dropped during conference; and, language in the Senate report encouraging the application of performance standards for the legislative branch similar to those now statutorily required by the executive branch.