Appropriations for FY2001: Legislative Branch

Publication Date: April 2001

Publisher: Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

Author(s):

Research Area: Government

Type:

Abstract:

Congress appropriated $2.649 billion for legislative branch operations in FY2001, a 6.6% increase over the FY2000 appropriation of $2.486 billion. The FY2001 funding level includes the appropriation in the regular annual legislative branch appropriations bill; a supplemental appropriation of $118 million in a miscellaneous appropriations bill; and a rescission of 0.22%.

Regular FY2001 Appropriations. The first regular FY2001 legislative branch appropriations bill (H.R. 4516) approved by Congress was vetoed by President Clinton in late October 2000. Seven weeks later, on December 14, a new legislative branch appropriations bill (H.R. 5657), which contained the funding levels as approved in the original bill, was introduced and incorporated by reference in the FY2001 Consolidated Appropriations Act (H.R. 4577). The latter act was signed into law (P.L. 106-554) on December 21, 2000.

During initial consideration of the regular legislative branch bill, the House Appropriations Committee, in compliance with budget allocation restrictions, established funding for FY2001 at 5.5% less than the level appropriated for FY2000. When the Senate took up the bill it approved an overall 3.7 % increase. The House later restored most of the funds cut at the committee level when it adopted a manager’s amendment containing an additional $95.7 million in funding during floor consideration of the House bill. The compromise bill approved by the conference committee provided for a 2.1% over FY2000.

Among the major funding issues considered were actions to: increase funds for the Capitol Police to employ 100-115 additional officers to implement the Capitol Police Board’s security plan; temporarily transfer administration of the Capitol Police to a chief administrative office under jurisdiction of the General Accounting Office; merge Library of Congress and Government Printing Office police with the Capitol Police; provide adequate funds for electronic document printing, the digital online program of the Library of Congress, and enhancements to the legislative information system; fund the support agency staff succession programs to replace employees eligible for retirement in the immediate future; and authorize GAO greater flexibility in reductions-in-force and early retirements and separation payments.

Additional Regular Appropriations and Rescission. A second bill (H.R. 5666), which contained an additional $118 million in regular FY2001 legislative branch appropriations funds, and a 0.22% across-the-broad cut in FY2001 appropriations, was also incorporated by reference into P.L. 106-554.