	FY2019 Consideration: Overview of Actions

The first section of this report provides an overview of the consideration of FY2019 legislative branch appropriations, with subsections covering each action to date, including
the initial submission of the request on February 12, 2018; hearings held by the House Legislative Branch Subcommittee in April 2018 and hearings held by the Senate Legislative Branch Subcommittee in April and May 2018; House subcommittee markup held on April 26, 2018; House full committee markup on May 8, 2018; the May 24, 2018, inclusion of a modified text of the legislative branch bill ( H.R. 5895 , which included legislative branch funding as Division B; House consideration of a special rule for H.R. 5895 on June 7 and 8, 2018, followed by House passage on June 8, 2018; Senate full committee markup and reporting of its version of the legislative branch appropriations bill ( S. 3071 ) on June 14, 2018; Senate consideration of H.R. 115-244 ; the Energy and Water, Legislative Branch, and Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act, 2019). It contains a request for $4.960 billion in new budget authority for legislative branch activities. By law, the legislative branch request is submitted to the President and included in the budget without change. Agency assessments for FY2019 may subsequently have been revised following the enactment of the FY2018 Consolidated Appropriations Act—for example, to account for items funded or not funded in that act. Subsequent discussions may vary from the levels or language included in the budget request due to this timing. For purposes of this report, however, FY2019 requested levels refer to the requested levels originally submitted unless otherwise noted. House Appropriations Committee Subcommittee on the Legislative Branch Markup

On April 26, 2018, the House Appropriations Committee Subcommittee on the Legislative Branch held a markup of the FY2019 bill. The following amendments were considered:
a manager's amendment, offered by Chairman Yoder of Kansas, which was agreed to by voice vote, with technical and other changes, including (1) the repeal of authorizations for office space, office expenses, franking and printing privileges, and staff for former Speakers of the House; and (2) directing the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) to hire an external contractor to conduct a House employee salary study; an amendment offered by Representative Wasserman Schultz of Florida, related to the House historical buildings revitalization trust fund, which was not agreed to; and an amendment offered by Representative Kilmer of Washington and Representative Cuellar of Texas, containing language expressing the sense of Congress that the Comptroller General should present an annual report on the fiscal state of the nation, which was withdrawn. 5894 , H.Rept. 115-696 ). 5894 was included in a print issued by the House Rules Committee entitled "Text of Energy and Water, Legislative Branch, and Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act 2019" (Committee Print 115-71, which also contained the text of H.R. 5895 and H.R. The House Rules Committee met on June 5 and 6, 2018, to consider a special rule for the consideration of H.R. H.Res. Of the seven amendments to Division B made in order by H.Res. 918 , six were offered and four were agreed to:
H.Amdt. H.R. 5895 was passed in the House on June 8, 2018, by a vote of 212-179 ( Roll N o. 257 ). One amendment was offered as part of a manager's package, which was agreed to by unanimous consent, and the bill was ordered reported ( S. 3071 , S.Rept. 115-274 ). Senate Floor Consideration and Passage

The Senate began its consideration of FY2019 legislative branch appropriations on June 18, 2018, as part of a "minibus" appropriations package that also included the text of the energy and water and military construction and veterans affairs appropriations bills. An amendment in the nature of a substitute ( S.Amdt. 5895 ). H.R. 5895 , as amended, was passed in the Senate on June 25, 2018, by a vote of 86-5 (Rollcall Vote No. 139 Leg.). 115-929 ) was filed on H.R. The conference report was agreed to in the Senate on September 12 (92-5, Record Vote Number 207) and in the House the following day (377-20, Roll No. The President signed the bill on September 21 ( P.L. It provides $4.836 billion for the legislative branch for FY2019 (Division B). The FY2019 funding level represents an increase of $136.0 million (+2.9%) from the FY2018 level. The $4.700 billion provided by the act represented an increase of $260.0 million (+5.9%) from the FY2017 enacted level. The $4.440 billion provided by the act represented a $77.0 million increase (+1.7%) from the FY2016 enacted level. The $4.300 billion provided by the act represented an increase of $41.7 million (+1.0%) from FY2014. 113-76 ), providing $4.259 billion for the legislative branch for FY2014. 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. 112-74 ) provided $4.307 billion for the legislative branch. This level represented a $125.1 million decrease from the $4.668 billion provided in the FY2010 Legislative Branch Appropriations Act ( P.L. The Senate-passed bill ( H.R. The House-requested level of $573.6 million, also included in the House-passed bill and the act, represents an increase of $10.998 million (+2.0%) from the level provided in FY2017 and FY2018. As stated above, the budget request levels were developed prior to the enactment of full-year appropriations for FY2018. 3. Government Publishing Office Business Operations Revolving Fund —The FY2019 enacted level of $6.0 million (a decrease of $2.5 million, or -29.7%, from FY2018) is equivalent to the funding requested by GPO and included in the House-passed and Senate-passed versions of the FY2019 bill.
The legislative branch appropriations bill provides funding for the Senate; House of Representatives; Joint Items; Capitol Police; Office of Compliance; Congressional Budget Office (CBO); Architect of the Capitol (AOC); Library of Congress (LOC), including the Congressional Research Service (CRS); Government Publishing Office (GPO); Government Accountability Office (GAO); Open World Leadership Center; and the John C. Stennis Center.
The FY2019 legislative branch budget request of $4.960 billion was submitted on February 12, 2018. The budget request levels were developed prior to the enactment of full-year appropriations for FY2018. Agency assessments for FY2019 may subsequently have been revised—for example, to account for items funded or not funded in the FY2018 Consolidated Appropriations Act. Subsequent discussions may vary from the levels or language included in the budget request due to this timing. For purposes of this report, however, FY2019 requested levels refer to the requested levels originally submitted unless otherwise noted. By law, the President includes the legislative branch request in the annual budget submission without change.
The House Appropriations Committee's Legislative Branch Subcommittee held hearings in April to consider the FY2019 legislative branch requests. On May 8, 2018, the House Appropriations Committee held a markup of the bill. Three amendments were considered: one, a manager's amendment, was adopted, and the bill was ordered reported.
On May 24, 2018, the text of H.R. 5894 was included in a print issued by the House Rules Committee entitled "Text of Energy and Water, Legislative Branch, and Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act 2019" (Committee Print 115-71, which also contained the text of H.R. 5895, H.R. 5894, and H.R. 5786). On June 5 and 6, the House Rules Committee met to consider rules for the consideration of H.R. 5895, which included legislative branch funding as Division B; the bill has sometimes been referred to as a "minibus" appropriations package. The rule for consideration (H.Res. 918, H.Rept. 115-711) was agreed to in the House on June 6, 2018. Of the seven amendments to Division B made in order by H.Res. 918, six were offered and four were agreed to (three by voice vote and one by roll call vote). H.R. 5895 passed in the House on June 8, 2018, by a vote of 212-179 (Roll No. 257). The House-passed total for legislative branch activities, excluding Senate items, was $3.811 billion (H.R. 5894, H.Rept. 115-696).
The Senate Appropriations Committee's Legislative Branch Subcommittee held hearings in April and May of 2018 to consider FY2019 legislative branch requests. On June 14, the Senate Appropriations Committee held a markup of its version of the FY2019 bill and reported S. 3071 (S.Rept. 115-274), which proposed $3.367 billion for legislative branch activities, excluding House items. The Senate began consideration of FY2019 legislative branch appropriations on June 18, 2018, agreeing to an amendment in the nature of a substitute (S.Amdt. 2910) that was made to H.R. 5895. Four amendments were agreed to for the legislative branch section of the bill, which is in Division B. H.R. 5895, as amended, was passed in the Senate on June 25, 2018, by a vote of 86-5 (Rollcall Vote No. 139 Leg.). The Senate-passed bill would have provided $4.796 billion for the legislative branch, including House items.
On September 10, 2018, a conference report (H.Rept. 115-929) was filed on H.R. 5895, the Energy and Water, Legislative Branch, and Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act, 2019. The conference report was agreed to in the Senate on September 12 and in the House the following day. The President signed the bill, which provides $4.836 billion for the legislative branch, an increase of $136.0 million (+2.9%) from the FY2018 level, on September 21 (P.L. 115-244).
The FY2018 Consolidated Appropriations Act (P.L. 115-141) provided $4.700 billion, an increase of $260.0 million (+5.9%) from FY2017. The FY2017 level of $4.440 billion was an increase of $77.0 million (+1.7%) from FY2016. The FY2016 level of $4.363 billion represented an increase of $63 million (+1.5%) from the FY2015 level of $4.300 billion, and the FY2015 level represented an increase of $41.7 million (+1.0%) from the FY2014 funding level of $4.259 billion. The FY2013 act funded legislative branch accounts at the FY2012 enacted level, with some exceptions (also known as "anomalies"), less across-the-board rescissions that applied to all appropriations in the act, and not including sequestration reductions implemented on March 1. The FY2012 level of $4.307 billion represented a decrease of $236.9 million (-5.2%) from the FY2011 level, which itself represented a decrease of $125.1 million (-2.7%) from FY2010.
The smallest of the appropriations bills, the legislative branch comprises approximately 0.4% of total discretionary budget authority.