Congress funds itself for 2026: $4.8B for operations, Capitol Police, and libraries
H.R. 4249 — Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2026 · Filed by David Valadao (R-CA) · Introduced Jun 30, 2025 · Reported out
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What it does
This bill appropriates $4.8 billion for the Legislative Branch for fiscal year 2026, funding House and Senate operations, Capitol Police, the Library of Congress, Government Publishing Office, and related agencies. It includes routine operational expenses, staff salaries, building maintenance, and cybersecurity measures, along with several administrative provisions restricting procurement of Chinese-made technology and regulating Capitol tours.
Why we flagged it
This is a routine annual appropriations bill funding the operations of Congress and related legislative institutions. It contains standard budget allocations, administrative provisions, and procurement restrictions—no policy innovation or special-interest carve-outs.
What the text implies
- Section 115 prohibits procurement of covered IT equipment from entities on Chinese military/sanctions lists, effectively restricting vendor choice for House technology—may increase costs or limit options for certain hardware categories.
- Section 110 requires unused member representational allowances to be deposited for deficit reduction, creating an incentive for members to spend allocated funds rather than conserve them, potentially increasing operational costs.
The full analysis lists 5 implications of this text.
Who stands to gain
Capitol Police (increased recruitment/retention bonuses); Federal contractors (building maintenance, IT services); Library of Congress vendors (digitization, modernization)