Abstract:
Dear Chair Lowey, Chair Shelby, Ranking Member Granger, Ranking Member Leahy, and Members
of the Committees on Appropriations:
We urge you to increase the funding available for the Legislative Branch by 10% as you determine
302(b) allocations for FY 2021. Over the last year, demands on Congress have significantly
increased as relate to your response to the COVID-19 pandemic and increased constituent requests
for assistance, managing the consequences of the economic downturn and overseeing significant
amounts of new spending, and working through the legislative response to nationwide
demonstrations and their underlying causes. The Legislative Branch, which has suffered
disproportionately from underfunding and the loss of institutional capabilities in recent decades, is
essential to the health of our democracy and must be strengthened to better serve the American
people.1
