Senate Appropriations Committee Hearing: 2026 Budgets for CBO, GAO, & GPO

Legislative Branch Budget Hearing

• 🎯 Senator Markwayne Mullin opens the hearing, emphasizing the need for fiscal restraint and efficient use of taxpayer dollars across all federal agencies, including those under the legislative branch.
• 🤝 He expresses gratitude for the opportunity to serve as subcommittee chairman and looks forward to working with Ranking Member Heinrich and other members on responsible funding.

Agency Budget Requests and Priorities

• 📊 Dr. Phil Swaggle (CBO) requests $75.8 million for FY2026, an 8.2% increase, to cover increased pay and benefits, IT infrastructure improvements, and to add 15 analysts in key areas like healthcare and national security.
• 📈 Comptroller General Jean Dodaro (GAO) highlights GAO's return on investment, stating they provide $123 in financial benefits for every dollar invested, and requests an increase to address a large workload and deferred investments.
• 💻 Mr. Hugh Halpern (GPO) requests $135.4 million, a 2.6% increase, to cover increased labor and material costs, with a significant portion dedicated to public information programs and digital formats for federal depository libraries.

Key Agency Functions and Challenges

• 🔍 CBO emphasizes its mission to provide nonpartisan, rigorous, and transparent analysis to Congress, including cost estimates, budget projections, and policy analysis, with a focus on responsiveness and transparency.
• 💡 GAO focuses on oversight of government spending, identifying high-risk areas, and addressing overlap and duplication, with a significant portion of their work driven by congressional requests.
• 🌐 GPO operates as a business enterprise, with appropriated funds covering Congress's publishing needs and the administration of the Federal Depository Library Program, while also generating revenue from other federal agencies.

Technology, AI, and Oversight

• 🤖 GAO has issued over 50 reports on AI since 2018, covering its use in defense, drug development, and healthcare, and is developing frameworks for auditing AI algorithms, emphasizing the importance of data quality.
• 📈 CBO is developing capabilities to model the impact of emerging technologies like AI on federal spending and revenues, noting that increased productivity from AI could lead to higher GDP and revenues, but the exact impact is still under analysis.
• 🧐 Senator Rounds inquires about GAO's AI adoption review and the differences in missions between CBO and GAO regarding AI analysis, with GAO focusing on present and past audits and CBO on future projections.

Fiscal Responsibility and Congressional Authority

• 💰 Senator Murray raises concerns about potential violations of the Impoundment Control Act by the previous administration, with GAO investigating 39 such instances and urging agencies to provide timely information.
• ⚖️ Senator Heinrich questions the feasibility of Republican reconciliation instructions without cutting Medicaid or CHIP, citing CBO's analysis that Medicaid constitutes 93% of baseline budget projections for the House Energy and Commerce Committee.
• 🗣️ Senator Mullin stresses the importance of agencies providing facts, not political opinions, to the committee to ensure bipartisan decision-making and efficient use of taxpayer funds.