Washington, D.C. – On Friday, the U.S. Senate passed the Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 Legislative Branch Appropriations Act by a huge bipartisan vote of 81-15. U.S. Senator Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) serves as Chair of the Legislative Branch Appropriations Subcommittee which oversees entities such as the Architect of the Capitol, Library of Congress, Capitol Police, Government Accountability Office, Government Publishing Office, and the Office of the Attending Physician, among others.

The bill provides $7.1 billion in discretionary funding for legislative branch agencies, when combined with funding for the U.S. House of Representatives ($2.2 billion), to support the physical and cyber security, technology infrastructure, and overall legislative work capacity of Congress. 

“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. This bill will bolster their efforts to maintain a secure environment for Members of Congress, our families, staff, and visitors. It also continues to build on strategic investments to strengthen the capacity of the Legislative Branch and our agencies to work on behalf of the American people,” said Senator Markwayne Mullin, Chair of the Legislative Branch Appropriations Subcommittee. 

“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.  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,” said Senator Susan Collins, Chair of the Appropriations Committee.   

Bill Highlights: 

• U.S. Senate: $1.47 billion to support legislative and oversight capacity and continue physical and cyber security initiatives.  

• U.S. Capitol Police (USCP): $855 million to support the most mission critical requirements, including the continued hiring of sworn officers and expanded resources for protective and intelligence operations. .  

• Congressional Budget Office (CBO): $71 million to expand transparency efforts and responsiveness to Congressional requests.  

• Architect of the Capitol (AOC): $698 million for the maintenance, preservation, and physical security of the Capitol complex. 

• Library of Congress: $852 million, including $136 million for the Congressional Research Service and $66 million for the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled.  

• Government Accountability Office (GAO): $812 million to support GAO’s oversight of federal expenditure of taxpayer dollars. 

• Security Enhancements: Includes additional funding for the Senate Sergeant at Arms and the USCP to implement Member security enhancements.  This is in support of continued work from the Committee, the relevant authorizing committees, and Legislative Branch security entities to address mounting threats and safety concerns. 

• Telecommunications Ban: Retains provision prohibiting the acquisition of telecommunications equipment from Huawei or ZTE Corporation.  

• Chinese Drone Ban: Retains provisions prohibiting the purchase of drones manufactured in China by USCP and AOC.   

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