Amodei Remarks at FY24 Legislative Branch Bill Markup

Statement

Welcome to the Subcommittee markup of the Fiscal Year 2024 Legislative Branch Appropriations bill. Welcome Ranking Member DeLauro and Ranking Member Espaillat.

Colleagues, as we go into our last Subcommittee meeting, I want to say thank you for your hard work and collegial attitude and particularly the cooperation and patience of our Ranking Member, Mr. Espaillat.

I also want to thank the Subcommittee staff on both sides. From the Majority, Michelle Reinshuttle and Jackie Ripke, and from the Minority, Faye Cobb and Raquel Spencer. Thank you all for your due diligence and hard work.

I am pleased to introduce the Fiscal Year 2024 Legislative Branch Appropriations bill which provides $5.313 billion -- a 4.5 percent decrease from the Fiscal Year 2023 enacted House levels and a 2.2 percent decrease in total allocation when you add in the Senate assumption. The bill reflects both an acknowledgement that the Legislative Branch must set itself as an example for fiscal restraint while serving as an essential branch of government that is open and accessible to the American people.

Details of the bill and report have been shared with the Subcommittee Members. I will provide a quick summary of the highlights and recommendations before us today.

The bill includes $1.85 billion for the operations of the House. This is $3.4 million more than last year's enacted level. The bill provides level funding for the Member's Representational Allowances, House Leadership, intern pay, and Congressional committees while providing the resources needed by the House to do its job well, retain staff, and best serve constituents.

The bill includes $781 million for the Capitol Police, a 6.3% increase in funding to allow for the hiring of up to 2,204 sworn officers to fill mission critical requirements to keep the Capitol complex and all who work and visit the Capitol secure.

The bill includes $798 million for the Architect of the Capitol, a 16.7% reduction from the FY24 request. The bill provides the necessary funding for the top 10 most critical infrastructure requests.

The bill provides $844 million for the Library of Congress. This is a modest increase of 1.8% from the enacted level to allow the Library to maintain current operations with a slight increase for the Copyright Office, Congressional Research Service, and the National Library Service for Blind and Print Disabled.

The bill provides $806 million to the Government Accountability Office, a 2% increase over the FY23 enacted level.

This bill ensures Congress remains open and working for the American people and provides the resources necessary for Congress to effectively serve their constituents and conduct our oversight responsibilities.

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