[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 78 (Wednesday, May 20, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E765]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


              LEGISLATIVE BRANCH APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2016

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                               speech of

                         HON. CHRIS VAN HOLLEN

                              of maryland

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, May 19, 2015

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the state of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 2250) making 
     appropriations for the Legislative Branch for the fiscal year 
     ending September 30, 2016, and for other purposes:

  Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. Chair, I rise in reluctant support of H.R. 2250, 
a bill to fund the operations of the U.S. House of Representatives for 
2016 and for other purposes.
  In these times of needed fiscal discipline, everyone must do their 
part. We are bound by funding caps and, though the president has put 
forward a blueprint to address sequestration, the Republican leadership 
has chosen to disregard the plan. As a result, appropriators have 
produced a bill that makes deep cuts to agencies and programs that 
support the legislative branch when compared to the president's 
request.
  H.R. 2250 provides a total of $3.341 billion for vital House and 
House affiliated functions as well as for greater Congressional 
operations. This is a reduction from the president's request of $200 
million. Within the total available funding, $492.2 million is provided 
for the Architect of the Capitol which oversees maintenance and repairs 
of House and Senate office buildings in addition to many other 
important buildings in the Congressional complex. Excluding Senate 
items, this is an $84 million reduction in funding for maintenance of 
the Capitol Visitor Center, the Capitol Grounds, the Library of 
Congress and the U.S. Botanical Garden. $591.4 million is provided in 
the bill to fund Library of Congress (LOC) operations. In addition to 
being the repository of the nation's print and recorded media, the LOC 
serves as the research arm of Congress, helping to inform the 
legislative debate on Capitol Hill. This bill cuts its funding by $33 
million below the president's request. The bill also reduces funding 
for the Government Accountability Office (GAO). The GAO functions as 
the ``congressional watchdog'' by investigating how federal agencies 
spend American taxpayer dollars. This bill funds GAO at $522 million, 
which is $31 million less than the president's request. H.R. 2250 does 
increase funding for the Capitol Police when compared to enacted 
funding levels, but the increase is actually a $10 million cut when 
compared to the president's request.
  I believe spending taxpayer dollars carefully should always be a 
priority of Congress, and seeking ways to reduce government spending 
should also be a priority. There are funding reductions in the bill 
that I support, including the pay freeze for Members of Congress. But 
the American people expect us to make wise cuts. They don't want us 
cutting for the sake of cutting--especially when vital services may be 
impacted. The president's budget contained a strategy to address 
sequestration that would have made many of these cuts unnecessary. I 
regret that my Republican colleagues chose to ignore it.

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