The U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations has approved the Fiscal Year 2026 Legislative Branch Appropriations Act. This act aims to support physical and cyber security, technology infrastructure, and legislative work capacity.
The measure was advanced by a vote of 26-1, allocating $7.1 billion in discretionary funding for legislative branch agencies, alongside $2.2 billion for the U.S. House of Representatives.
“This bill provides funding to support the men and women of the Capitol Police who work hard every day to keep the Capitol complex safe,” said Senator Collins, Chair of the Appropriations Committee. “It also includes resources that help Congress fulfill its constitutional responsibilities and funding for the Government Accountability Office, Library of Congress, and other agencies that allow Congress to do its work in a transparent and accountable way.”
Senator Mullin, Chair of the Legislative Branch Appropriations Subcommittee, emphasized the importance of this funding: “The brave men and women of the U.S. Capitol Police and Sergeant at Arms work tirelessly every day to protect us as well as the millions of visitors.”
Highlights from the bill include:
– $1.47 billion for U.S. Senate legislative and oversight capacity.
– $855 million for U.S. Capitol Police to hire officers and expand protective operations.
– $71 million for Congressional Budget Office transparency efforts.
– $698 million for maintenance and security at the Capitol complex through Architect of the Capitol.
– $852 million for Library of Congress services.
– $812 million for Government Accountability Office oversight.
Security enhancements are included with additional funding for Member security improvements through Senate Sergeant at Arms and USCP.
Provisions in place prohibit acquiring telecommunications equipment from Huawei or ZTE Corporation and purchasing Chinese-manufactured drones by USCP and AOC.
