Legislative Branch

The Legislative Branch Subcommittee is one of twelve subcommittees of the Senate Committee on Appropriations. Like all appropriations subcommittees, it reviews the President's budget request, hears testimony from government officials and other witnesses, and drafts spending legislation for its jurisdiction. The full Appropriations Committee then reviews and may modify the bills before they go to the full Senate for consideration.

This subcommittee has a unique focus: it handles appropriations for the operations of Congress itself. Specifically, it is responsible for funding operations of the U.S. House of Representatives and the United States Senate. The subcommittee recommends funding for several joint agencies of Congress, including the Library of Congress, U.S. Capitol Police, Congressional Budget Office, Government Accountability Office, and the Capitol Visitors Center. By tradition, the House does not oversee funding for the Senate and the Senate does not recommend funding for the House.

The subcommittee is chaired by Senator Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) and has Ranking Member Martin Heinrich (D-NM). In his first hearing in April 2025, Chair Mullin emphasized accountability to taxpayers and bipartisan work, reviewing budget requests for the Congressional Budget Office, Government Accountability Office, and Government Publishing Office. The subcommittee has seven members total.