Making appropriations for the Legislative Branch for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2026, and for other purposes.
Legislative Progress
ReportedMr. Valadao, from the Committee on Appropriations, reported the following …
Summary
What This Bill Does
This is the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2026, which funds Congress and its supporting agencies including the House of Representatives, Senate, Capitol Police, Library of Congress, Government Accountability Office, and Architect of the Capitol. Beyond routine funding, it includes several policy restrictions ("riders") that ban certain types of spending and procurement.
Who Benefits and How
- U.S. technology and vehicle manufacturers benefit as Chinese competitors are banned from selling computers, telecommunications equipment, and vehicles to Congress. Companies like domestic automakers and tech firms gain protected market access.
- Religious organizations and individuals who oppose same-sex marriage receive legal protections from losing tax-exempt status, federal grants, or contracts based on their beliefs.
- DACA recipients can be employed by Congress, expanding their job opportunities.
- Taxpayers may see modest deficit reduction as unused Members Representational Allowances must be returned to the Treasury.
Who Bears the Burden and How
- Chinese companies (Huawei, ZTE, BYD, Geely, CATL) are banned from selling technology and vehicles to Congress, losing access to this government market.
- DEI training providers and consultants lose revenue as Congress bans funding for diversity, equity, and inclusion programs it deems "divisive."
- Members of Congress face tightened spending rules, including a $1,000 monthly cap on vehicle leasing and no cost-of-living pay adjustment.
- Government contractors working on Capitol projects cannot receive incentive payments if they are behind schedule or over budget.
- Government Accountability Office loses authority to sue over executive branch impoundment of funds without explicit congressional authorization.
Key Provisions
- Bans procurement of IT equipment and telecommunications from Chinese military-linked companies and those on government security lists
- Prohibits purchase or lease of vehicles from Chinese manufacturers including BYD, Geely, and battery-maker CATL
- Defunds diversity, equity, and inclusion training programs deemed to promote "divisive concepts" about race or sex
- Protects religious organizations and individuals opposing same-sex marriage from federal discrimination
- Restricts GAO from suing over executive impoundment without congressional resolution
- Caps Library of Congress revolving fund activities at $332.3 million
- Requires Capitol Police Board approval for senior police leadership appointments
- Allows employment of DACA recipients in congressional offices
Evidence Chain:
This summary is derived from the structured analysis below. See "Detailed Analysis" for per-title beneficiaries/burden bearers with clause-level evidence links.
Primary Purpose
Appropriates funds for the Legislative Branch for fiscal year 2026, including the House of Representatives, Senate, Capitol Police, Library of Congress, Government Accountability Office, and Architect of the Capitol, while imposing various spending restrictions and policy riders.
Policy Domains
Legislative Strategy
"Standard annual appropriations bill with conservative policy riders restricting DEI programs, protecting religious organizations from LGBTQ+ discrimination claims, banning Chinese technology and vehicles, and limiting congressional pay adjustments."
Likely Beneficiaries
- Legislative branch agencies (receive funding)
- Religious organizations (protected from discrimination enforcement)
- US-based technology and vehicle manufacturers (protected from Chinese competition)
- DACA recipients (employment protection)
- House childcare center employees (telecommunications benefits)
Likely Burden Bearers
- Chinese technology and vehicle manufacturers (banned from contracts)
- DEI program administrators (defunded)
- Members of Congress (no cost of living adjustment)
- Contractors behind schedule or over budget (no incentive payments)
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
- "the_chief"
- → Chief of the Capitol Police
- "the_architect"
- → Architect of the Capitol
- "capitol_police_board"
- → Capitol Police Board
- "the_comptroller_general"
- → Comptroller General (GAO)
- "the_chief_administrative_officer"
- → Chief Administrative Officer of the House of Representatives
- "the_architect"
- → Architect of the Capitol
- "the_secretary"
- → Secretary of the Treasury (for deficit reduction)
- "the_secretary_of_defense"
- → Secretary of Defense (for Chinese military company list)
- "the_secretary_of_homeland_security"
- → Secretary of Homeland Security (for DACA)
Note: 'The Secretary' in Section 110 refers to Secretary of the Treasury for deficit reduction purposes, while in other contexts may refer to department-specific secretaries.
Key Definitions
Terms defined in this bill
A computer, printer, or interoperable videoconferencing equipment for direct use by a Member, committee, officer, or employee of the House of Representatives in an office environment; does not include services that use such equipment, including cloud services.
Equipment or services from entities designated on specific government security lists (referenced in the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Act of 2019).
Entities owned by, controlled by, or organized under the laws of the People's Republic of China, including BYD Auto Co., Ltd., Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Co., Ltd., and CATL, or entities on the DOD Section 1260H list.
We use a combination of our own taxonomy and classification in addition to large language models to assess meaning and potential beneficiaries. High confidence means strong textual evidence. Always verify with the original bill text.
Learn more about our methodology